Summer is wedding season at Kurland. Whether it’s a grand affair at the Pavilion, or a country-style celebration in the Homestead, Kurland offers a plethora of beautiful spaces for the bride and groom (and all of their loved ones) to create a weekend to remember.
It goes without saying, however, that when a wedding location is as dreamy and out-of-this-world as Kurland Estate, the food that accompanies these romantic celebrations needs to play its part.
Luckily for the happy couple that recently got married at Kurland, the catering by Glenda (owner of the esteemed Glenda’s in Hyde Park, Johannesburg) and her sister Di Behr (part of Kurland’s founding family) was straight out of a foodie fairytale…
Friday Dinner
Excited guests arriving at Kurland the day before the wedding settled into their rooms before being welcomed to a casual homemade pizza evening in Katarina’s cosy, country-chic barn.
Fresh tomatoes, basil and (more toppings/ingredients/pizza flavours), grown right here on the farm, made the wood-fired pizzas doing the rounds a firm favourite, only to be outdone by the spectacular sunset casting her warm glow on the paddocks and mountains in the background.
Food made with love, served to happy friends and family catching up in a beautifully relaxed, picturesque environment, perfectly set the tone for the start of a wedding weekend to remember.
Saturday – The Big Day
Once the bride and groom had said their ‘I do’s’, the wedding celebrations took place at Kurland’s Villa. Guests chatted and strolled on the lawns, around two seven-metre-long buffet tables on either side of the pool. The tables were adorned with plants and covered in brown paper for an authentically rustic, Italian feeling, setting the stage for al fresco dining at its finest.
- To start
Starters were the flavours of hot, sunny, summer days, offering plates overflowing with patés, terrines, Parma ham, melons, breads, fish, and local cheeses – all served on the tables by the pool.
Think honey-sweet melon, scooped out with a spoon, topped with Parma ham, and piled onto toasted hot sourdough bread. Local cheeses, fresh from the neighbouring farms – brie with a red onion and carrot jam, and ricotta served with soft poached pears. Succulent line fish, served in big bowls, with the simple flavours of lemon, salt and pepper to add some zing. Freshly baked farm breads, lathered in herb and anchovy and nasturtium leaf butters, with sun-dried tomatoes. Chicken and pork terrines, baked in Parma ham and pistachios, and served with a sour, dried fig jam using figs from Prince Albert marinated in brandy.
- The main course
Guests gathered on the veranda for the main course, dappled rays of the sunset poking through the wisteria canopy. Not to outdone by the starters, mains consisted of colourful sharing platters of farm-fresh, herby roast chickens, buttered and served with gravy and stuffing, as well as thinly sliced fillet with a flavoursome chimichurri sauce. This was accompanied by side dishes of roasted butternut, grilled cherry tomatoes with fresh basil, buttered garlic beans, and an avocado and butter lettuce salad, with a zesty lemon and olive oil dressing.
- Dessert
If ever there was a wedding cake to steal the show, it was Glenda’s glamourous traditional, multi-layered black forest cake, piled high with fresh black cherries.
The night before, Glenda hulled the cherries, added lemon and sugar, and macerated then overnight with kirsch liqueur. The cake was served with fresh cream, infused with vanilla from the pod.
A Goodbye Brunch
Parting with Kurland is indeed such sweet sorrow, but before the guests returned home, they were treated to a beautiful Sunday brunch at the Homestead.
Breakfast tables were with brimming with delights: Freshly baked croissants, Glenda’s specialty homemade fruit tarts (with a pastry crust and almondine frangipane filling with pears or plums, served with macerated strawberries in fresh orange syrup), brioche tarts with custard crème pâtissière, seasonal fruits (blueberries and nectarines, dusted with icing sugar), homemade muesli, eggs and bacon to order, and a variety of freshly squeezed juices.
A coffee cart offered specialty coffees, and a bar on the veranda served Aperol spritzers, bubbly, Pimm’s and Bloody Marys (with fresh celery sticks from the kitchen garden).
Weddings To Remember
Weddings at Kurland really are the stuff of dreams, especially with so many different locations creating memorable settings that offer unique experiences throughout the weekend.