|
 
|
CELEBRATING CYBELE
The life and times…
When Cybele opened their doors in May 1979 little did
Barbara and Rupert Jeffries realise that Cybele would
one day become a much loved and celebrated
destination for travellers from all corners of the world.
How did it all begin? Barbara Jeffries tells us.
|
Young, bright eyed, bushy tailed and enthusiastic! "Rupert and I were both in advertising, originally coming from London where we would go away for weekends (that was what you did) – so back in Johannesburg - where shall we go? Eastern Transvaal; Winkler or Mount Sheba. R18 bed and breakfast. Then we saw on the cover of Wine & Good Living magazine Cybele advertised at R16 and a couple wearing kaftans slicing fish. I thought that sounds more like it! I phoned on the party line, they were fully booked.
So on Friday afternoon we drove to Casa do Sol via Lydenberg through the dense fog. What amazing gardens! Later we drove to Cybele to have a couple of Bloody Marys and enjoy their cheese board. Friends were overnighting there so we stayed for dinner, then made our way back to Casa do Sol. The following day we were back to Cybele for lunch – R11. That was the first time I had Pecan Nut Pie and that was in 1978.
  
Right from the start the food at Cybele was good. Tomato and basil soup, very racy in those days with a swirl of cream. And beef fillet with a Béarnaise sauce was the rage. Well we fell in love and after some time we decided to buy it. A huge decision and finally what an auspicious beginning.
We arrived on the last Sunday in May 1979 with Sam and Sarah, our two gorgeous boxers and Passia, our Persian, in the Volkswagen. The owners left 20 minutes later and there we were, I didn’t even know where the kitchen was and Cybele was full of guests. Basic instinct kicked in with lamb chops served with crispy baked potatoes - if you want them crispy you have to wait for 1-1½ hours and serve them with fresh mint and loads of butter. They waited in the bar and didn’t worry too much about the time!
Then there was dinner! We had to wake up to reality. I prepared Boeuf Bourguignon, while Rupert cranked up the generators so the guests could dry their hair. Rupert began running around with the baggage and I didn’t take my apron off for 11 years - pastry stains and all."
|
  
1983 was a landmark year for Barbara and Rupert,
Cybele became a founder member in South Africa
of the prestigious Paris based Relais & Chateaux
Association. Cybele has continued to fulfill the most
hospitable expectations with graciousness and care.
 
Thatched suites meander through enchanting gardens shaded by towering indigenous trees. The welcoming suites are perfectly private and utterly restful, understated and luxuriously elegant. Exquisite linen and pristine bathrooms, all the suites are well heated and cosy in the winter with a gorgeous fireplace in the Forest Suite.
|
Tasting the soup was a ritual
"I loved making soup and tasting it was a ritual. It is the most important dish on the menu as it sets a precedent - the beginnings of a good dinner. My favourite Stilton and celery eventually became a bit over done, but we had a delicious tomato and basil, French onion and creamy smooth cauliflower soup. I adore asparagus and parmesan soup. I still feel that wholewheat bread is important and now that we are in Zambia, I can’t live without my bread making machine.
A few of my favourite things…
A warm autumn salad, tempura prawns with mango salsa, a beef fillet with oven roasted new potatoes. Wonderful lamb with potatoes boulangère. Salmon fillet with an Asian dressing or a smoked paprika risotto with crisp bacon and for pudding of course homemade ice cream - scrumptious made with thick Jersey cream and a vanilla bean. French apple tart with a buttery pastry, sometimes with a layer of Frangipane custard, and I cannot resist roasted nectarines in Amaretto served in a big nutty meringue." Divine!
These were the growing years!
|
  
"I adore good food and my most memorable meal was at Eugenie Les Bains in France. The lobster was so fresh in the consommé that it literally walked out of the dish! The tomato tart was melt in the mouth with a buttery pastry that was lighter than air."
Breakfasts at Cybele are always a feature from the freshly squeezed orange juice and choice tropical fruits to the scrumptious homemade muesli with toasted almonds and slivers of dried fruit. The scones are a dream with marvellous homemade preserves, thick with mulberries, clear crab apple, crisp watermelon and a tart orange marmalade. Irresistible buttered flapjacks with maple syrup and wicked chantilly cream or crisp slices of French toast.
The ham, scented with cloves, resplendent with a choice of mustards, excellent cheeses with homemade chèvre and apricot chutney. Really good eggs Benedict, great sausages; lamb, pork or beef and for those that fancy a kipper in lemon butter sauce…stop….stop!
|
  
"I’m mad about Marco Pierre White. We were having an excellent lunch at Drones sitting at the bar, and there was A.A. Gill (an unbelievably good Food Writer) I said, ‘Sorry to interrupt, but you’ve been to my house in South Africa – Cybele.’ ‘Oh Cybele,’ he said ‘we’ve never got over it – heavenly!’ He was with Nicola Formby, Tatler’s Beauty Editor."
Delectable little tastes; crayfish with garlic, Scotch quail eggs in a sweet chilli sauce, scallops with maple syrup and Cape Malay samoosas with pickled green beans. On the menu duck breast with wilted greens and an orange emulsion. Fig mille feuille with homemade cinnamon ice cream to drool over - see recipes - A Table at Cybele.
|
The best thing to do at Cybele is relax. There are superb walks on the 300 acre property which is down through the forest to the river and along to the waterfall. We have our own stables on the property and our groom can take guests out on breathtaking horse rides through the forest. Many guests use Cybele as a base to explore Mpumalanga or to venture into the Kruger Park for the day. Contact Reception for information on day tours, exciting helicopter adventures and hot air balloon safaris. Cybele has a large heated main pool for year round swimming. Golf, Tennis and Squash are available nearby. Transfers between hotels, game lodges and airports can also be arranged at Reception.
|
Quick facts about the Lodge:
Location – Cybele is situated 420 km east of Johannesburg in the heart of Mpumalanga between White River and Hazyview. It is 40km from the Phabeni Gate into the Kruger National Park and close to the top Private Game Reserves in the Sabi Sands including Londolozi, Mala Mala, Idube, Inyati, Savanna, Nottens, Leopard Hills, Dulini, Exeter, Ulusaba, Lion Sands, Tinga, Singita and Sabi Sabi. Cybele is ideally situated for exploring the magnificent highlights of Mpumalanga, including the Mac Mac Falls, God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, the Blyde River Canyon and Pilgrim’s Rest.
Climate – Cybele is situated at 1000 metres or 3000 feet above sea level and so avoids the really intense heat and humidity that can sometimes be experienced in Mpumalanga during the summer months. For this reason particularly, it is an ideal stop off point on the way in or out of the game reserves.
CYBELE FOREST LODGE & HEALTH SPA
P.O. Box 346, White River 1240, South Africa
Tel:+27 (0)13 764 9500 Fax:+27 (0)13 764 9510
reservations@cybele.co.za
www.cybele.co.za
Founder Member of Relais & Chateaux in South Africa in 1983
|
Loading ...
