Farm girl with a foodie background

I grew up in a foodie family on a farm in Beaufort West. My mother loved to host friends and family around tables groaning under the weight of wholesome home cooked dishes and, of course, always ensuring that there was plenty of food for any unexpected guests, of which there were many, Ronel Gerda Hauptfleisch (nee Tait) answers when I asked her how she got inspired to go into the restaurant industry.

Because we lived on a farm ‘skaapkoppe’ and ‘bokkoppe’ (sheep and goats’ head) were not a delicacy on our table, but rather a norm, and always served with a unique twist - sauces and gravies, side dishes and spices inspired by her mother’s creativity and skill.

Dinner time was an elegant affair, table decked with flowers and silverware and, definitely was not just about filling the hungry tummies of Ronel and her three older siblings, but rather a ritual filled with charm and homeliness.

“My mother was a creative. I think I take after her.”

17 years ago, on 1 October 1999, she opened the doors of ‘Koppikoffi’ for the first time. Today she has 8 fulltime staff members and the premises have evolved and expanded to also include boutique accommodation, Villa Chocolat, that has proved immensely popular with travellers looking for that ‘home-from-home’ ambiance.

Service is another priority for Ronel - She is a firm believer in training. Her staff write exams on the menus every time they change and change they do.

Jacques le Roux , a qualified chef spends about 10 days in her kitchen every 3 months experimenting with new recipes and ideas. The menu

then gets updated according to the season and current trends. He trains the kitchen staff to make and present

it with that eye for detail that ‘Koppikoffi’ is famed for. This way you will always be sure of finding an exciting meal you won’t find anywhere else in town.

The latest special meal Jacques introduced is a steak topped with brie, caramalised onions and mushrooms. Apparently to die for…

With their son and daughter grown-up and out of the house, Ronel and her husband Boetie recently acquired a house in Stilbaai with an eye to retirement, leisurely walks on the beach and quality time with their two grandchildren, BUT letting go of her ‘baby’ and finding that someone special who will look after ‘Koppikoffi’ with the same love and passion she has lavished on it for all these years, has proven more challenging then she thought, a fact, that Porterville locals and visitors alike can be very grateful for, because it is difficult to imagine Koppikoffi without the effervescent personality of Ronel at its helm.

Koppikoffi is a family restaurant with easy outdoor seating, comfortable ball and claw couches inside and bright happy red chairs on the veranda. They serve pizzas from their 2 pizza ovens on the stoep, hamburgers, steaks and salads.

They are open

Mondays from 7 till 7

Tuesdays till Saturdays from 7 till 10

Sundays from 8 till 3

Contact Ronel on 022 931 3877

for your next family lunch,

birthday dinner or romantic table

for two.