Vredenheim Wine Farm — Attraction in Stellenbosch Local Municipality

Not impressed at all, I suggest giving the animal farm a miss:

Beautiful venue, its such a pity that their staff are unprofessional. We went there as a group for a function, and got told before hand that they do not accept credit cards, cash only, but once we got there it was the exact opposite, they only accepted cards, which was not the end of the world.

The farm opens to the public at 9 am, and our function started at 10 am, when we got there, we wanted to buy some coffee, and we were told that they are still busy setting up, and that we can go and drink coffee at the restaurant. Having all our kids there, that was not an option, so one of us went to get some take away coffees for everyone. Upon returning with the coffees, we got approached by a very rude young man, telling us that the coffees from the restaurant are not allowed at the animal farm section, and that we should take it outside immediately, otherwise his boss would quote, "sht on him". He made us feel very uncomfortable and unwelcome, the way he spoke to us was very dismissive and completely uncalled for.

I was not about to throw my coffee in the bin, and after being spoken to like a child, I just ignored him. He kept rambling on about the restaurant and the animal farm belonging to separate companies, jadda, jadda, jadda. It was my first time there, and from my perspective as a member of the public, Vredenheim is Vredenheim, whether you are at the animal farm or the at the restaurant. How were we to know?

Apart from that, they only started serving food after 11:30 am, (They open at 9 am....) The menu is very mediocre to say the least, and the food is prepared in what I can only describe as a wooden shack, by staff members without gloves, I got the impression that hygiene might not be on the top of their priority list.

I constantly got the feeling that the staff members are doing me a favor for being there. I was disgusted by how we were treated, kindness and good manners does not cost anything.

They will NOT be seeing me again...

Lovely venue for a peaceful and relaxed brunch/lunch picnic. The farm has some great views and the Hudson's where my partner and I had our picnic was nice.

I was however disappointed by the lack of attention that we received. A week before I had made the booking to celebrate my partner's birthday. I asked for a complimenting wine to accommodate the picnic basket. Upon arrival the individual I had been in communication with from the Hudson's had been less helpful and accommodating as he was via email.

When asked about which wine would be best, Matthew simply responded that it was the first he was hearing of my request. I wanted to make this special for my partner and it fell a little flat. As it was our first time on the wine farm, it felt as though we were not welcome to be in that space. I do wish to acknowledge that one waitress was kind enough to usher us out into the garden and offer her assistance should we require it.

Although the establishment is lovely, it would be such an amazing experience if all members of staff paid attention to detail and address guests with respect and genuine interest. It is completely understandable that we are all human and some days we may not give our best - it is still important to acknowledge that working in a service providing industry where quality is essential, those who walk through your doors (regardless of who they are) wish to experience the same quality the establishment alludes to in its views, decor, overall aesthetic etc.

More than that, the picnic basket was really worth it, the Sauvignon Blanc is...

I was super excited for the whole experience for my son to just encounter the upclose moments with the lions and tigers... Arriving at the wine tasting room, my family was greeted and was explained how the procesz work and where to go. Super excited we proceeded but finally arriving at the Cat park my excitement dropped. The guy working there just looked at us as if we were out of place and dont belong. He approached me, and said in the most unfriendliest tone: " you can start here, proceed with the path to your left". Immediately I felt off but proceeded as I was completely not going to let this ruin my day. Exiting the park my friend said goodbey and this guy just didnt even make a sound. He heard me saying to my husband that this is the worst experience. The guy came closer and said that if I want to complain I can go to the Kiosk I assume, because the cats are a bit tired. I looked at him and just said, there absolutely nothing wrong with the cats. Even if their asleep throughout m visit i'ld still be facinated its the unwelcoming feeling and the way I was treated by the "human" thats more a...