Corne’s Deli, founded by Corne van der Walt in 2015, is the realization of a lifelong dream of hers. Being a qualified chef, with years of experience, quality wholesome, and healthy food was and still is her passion.
Corne obtained her chef qualification in the South Africa Air Force (SAAF) where she spent more than twelve years and achieved numerous awards and accolades. She was also the Base Catering Officer for the prestigious Air Force base Waterkloof, where she was amongst other things in charge of the VIP kitchen that prepared the food for the late president Nelson Mandela, ministers, and other dignitaries.
THE DELI
Apart from her chef skills, Corne is also an entrepreneur and identified a gap in the market a number of years ago for artisanal products that are still handmade with love and care and not produced by commercialized bulk manufacturing. For her, it is all about the personal touch. She started with a focus on artisanal cheese which required a lot of dedicated research, sourcing, and building up relationships with smaller cheesemakers and farms across the country to ensure the best, natural products are delivered from the farms to the Deli. The focus is always on quality hand-made South African products which differentiate her from other Cheese Shops that promote and sells foreign or mass-produced cheese.
Initially, she sold artisanal cheese at different family and farmers’ markets in the Western Cape but soon realized there is a hunger for more hand made products, free from preservatives and artificial chemicals one so often find in the shops or supermarkets when products are being mass-produced.
Corne soon built up a regular customer base and with the growth from the markets, she then established Corne’s Deli at the rustic Paardevlei estate in a historic building designed by Sir Herbert Baker and expanded the offering to typical Deli products, while sticking to her motto of sourcing only quality, hand-made produce from South African farms and producers.
Apart from the cheese and other artisanal products, the Deli arguably offers the best coffee in the Helderberg area. The coffee and tea menu is complemented by the sit-down light meals menu. The gourmet toasted sandwiches are only made with products found in the Deli, from the sourdough bread, farm butter, artisanal cheese, and cold meats that are being fused in interesting taste sensation combinations – all of it can be found in the Deli.
Customers are welcome to come and taste the cheeses and Corne will recommend the best pairing and use of the cheese in recipes. “We offer vacuum sealed pre-packed cheese for pick up and go as well as the opportunity to taste and then we’ll cut the size you want and weigh it, the old traditional way.”
ARTISINAL PRODUCTS
You will also find delicious exclusive jams and preserves some of which are made by Corne herself. Some of the interesting jams are the following; Strawberry Gin Jam, Butterscotch Shiraz, Coffee Pinotage, and Vanilla Cabernet to name but a few. Compliment your meals with our exclusive spices, infused salts, sauces, hand-made chutneys, and pickles. Corne always try to source or produce something different and likes to experiment with taste and combinations.
The Deli also caters to those with a sweet tooth with home-made Turkish delight, toffees, sweets, biscuits, rusks, and other goodies. “We have daily fresh cake and Corne’s delicious milk tart recipe is the best-guarded family secret in the Western Cape.”
DELI BOX
“We recently introduced our Deli box which contains a variety of four of our best artisanal cheeses, a selection of cold meats and salami’s, a fresh baguette, fresh fruit, mixed nuts, dried fruit, celery sticks, pickled onions, tzatziki, jalapeno jelly, hummus, olives, and some chocolates – enough for four to six people and perfect for events or parties, although it can be ordered and enjoyed any day of the week. You just open it, indulge, and afterward recycle the box, no dishes, no preparation, no hassles, and fantastic value for money.
Corne’s Deli is moving with the times and though we cater to sit-downs or just browsing the Deli, we can also deliver as we realize that with the COVID pandemic it is becoming the new normal for lots of people to rather have their goodies delivered.
Our website is currently being updated to ensure hassle-free online ordering with free delivery in the Helderberg area for orders above R300. For orders outside of the area, but still in the Cape Peninsula, we charge a small delivery fee.
LOCATION
Apart from the Deli shop at 23 de Beers str Paardevlei estate, Somerset West you can also find our products at the main markets in the Western Cape. Our cheese and some other Deli products can be found at the Willowbridge Mall, Slow Market in Durbanville every Saturday from 09h00 to 15h00, and once the Blaauwklippen and Root44 markets open up again you’ll find the full selection of Deli products there as well on Saturdays and Sundays.
In the meantime, you are more than welcome to visit the shop in Paardevlei and come taste the delectable cheese and other Deli goodies or sit down for a light meal and coffee.
We adhere to the COVID regulations and our tables and areas are sanitized after every meal.
We are open from Monday to Friday from 08h30 to 16h00 and Saturdays from 09h00 to 14h00.”
For more information contact 081 430 1323, visit www.facebook.com/cornesdeli or website www.cornesdeli.co.za to get the latest specials and news on when those markets re-open
