Dreams of a more fulfilling life led Paul Fletcher and his wife to set up their own organic eatery in South Africa, and they’ve never looked back.
Paul Fletcher is something of an enigma. With long, wavy hair, he looks as if he might be more at home with a rock band living a jet-set life. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. True, he once had a successful career in the textile industry dyeing fabrics for the likes of Gap, Ronald Sassoon and Marks and Spencer, but he’s a family man at heart, living a life of integrity. His dream is to live a largely self sufficient, alternative lifestyle running an organic deli and bohemian restaurant in The Strand, 45 minutes from Cape Town, close to the swell of the Indian Ocean.
South Africa was a different country altogether when Paul arrived in 1979, and he’s witnessed many changes. “I arrived in Durban during the apartheid era, but these days South Africa is a place where the entrepreneurial spirit can flourish. There’s so much potential, and lots of opportunities for people wanting to start up on their own,” says Paul whose life now bears testament to the favourable small business climate of the new South Africa.
Finding his lifestyle of choice and the woman of his dreams has taken Paul from Derby to Durban to Cape Town. Faldelah, his wife, hails from the once politically troubled District Six in Cape Town. “My family was forcibly removed from the area to Mitchell’s Plain when I was still young,” she explains. She’s exotic and bubbly with a quick intellect, which secured her a position in the production planning department of Paul’s textile factory, which is how they first met. Time and events took their course and before too long they were married.
“I was 28,” explains Faldelah. “It was 1996. Even though apartheid was officially over, my own close-knit family almost disowned me, and Paul bore the brunt of some fairly derogatory remarks from his friends.”
So how did they end up in The Strand? “I think The Strand chose us,” says Faldelah. “We were looking for property in a village environment. Paul’s 74-year-old mum, Nora, had arrived from England and we needed a large house, with room for children, where Nora could have her own flat within walking distance of the shops. We were just about to put in an offer on a house in Gordon’s Bay, but we got lost and drove past this gorgeous old house in The Strand which had an estate agent’s board outside.”
“I peeked through the window and it was love at first sight. I saw a long hallway, Oregon pine floors and high ceilings, then discovered a huge kitchen and an enormous back garden,” says Faldelah.
“For us, The Strand is the best place in the world to live. It has an unconventional feel to it. We love it,” adds Paul. It’s surrounded by the Hottentot and Helderberg mountains, close to swathes of vineyards and the elegant wine estates of the Cape winelands, and near a renowned coastal drive leading to the Whale mecca of Hermanus.
“In our spare time we love camping and walking, especially on cold winter days in the Klein Karoo. I do miss the distinct seasons of England, and I think if we ever went back we’d want to live in St Ives,” says Paul.
Paul and Faldelah have renovated their house, which dates back to 1926. “We’ve painted, restored woodwork, sanded floors, pulled up carpets and re-installed an Aga. The day we started knocking down a wall to expose the chimney was like a scene from a Tom and Jerry cartoon. One minute I was standing there, a white man in a white t-shirt and the next I was covered in soot from head to foot,” laughs Paul.
Then one day, Paul had an epiphany. Why, he asked himself, was he working six and a half days a week away from the woman he loved, only seeing his family for a scant few hours each day? Faldelah was juggling a coffee shop with bringing up a family. The stresses of their individual lives were pushing them apart. So they decided to take the leap and plunge into business together.
“We both enjoy cooking, intimate bohemian type dining, and organic food, and thought why not put it all together and mix business with pleasure?"
In April 2006, part of their home was reborn as a restaurant, coffee shop, deli and cultural venue. Today, Tredicis is well on the way to reaching sustainability. Partnering with poets, storytellers and local artists for various themed evenings has given Tredicis a distinctive stamp of its own.
"We wanted to create something bohemian and funky, with a vibe-y, offbeat feel. Hence Tredicis, thirteen in Italian, where it’s always thirteen o'clock, and time means nothing! We joke you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. It’s a place where people can meet, relax on the verandah and enjoy wholesome, rustic food." As he talks, Paul puts the finishing touches to the evening’s three-course menu, written on cardboard recycled from old wine boxes.
Tredici’s organic cuisine ranges from French to Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and Malay. Most products are grown on a nearby farm as part of an agricultural initiative, in partnership with the Helderrant Farm School.
Mandla Ntlangano (his name means power) is a self-taught farmer and in charge of Tredici’s agricultural aspect.
“We want to empower Mandla to own and run his own organic farm one day. We’re beginning to understand the damage we’re doing to the planet, as well as identifying what contributions to society we can effectively make,” says Paul.
The dream keeps evolving but you get the feeling that Paul and Faldelah will continue to live and work with integrity. “People talk about self-sufficiency but drive big 4 x 4’s, switch on TVs and buy frozen food. As Tredicis expands we’re becoming more conscious of what we do, more bio-dynamic.”
“We’re learning to cook according to the seasons – which means always being creative. Today for instance there’s dhal moussaka because we’re picking aubergines.” Paul aims to cook only the root or leaf that he’s grown and hopes in about a year to be self-sufficient.
“It’s been a steep learning curve, but exciting. Next year we’ll be using black pepper harvested from pepper trees in the area, and verjuice made from our own unripe grapes, as well as wine vinegar made from our Hanepoort grapes.” Suddenly you get to understand what he means by opportunities.
As he speaks a cock crows, the sun casts warm rays on fragrant rosemary bushes growing below the shady verandah, and the rich smell of kelp wafts from the beach. You can’t help but feel that you’d like to put your feet up and never leave - become part of the dream created by these two energetic entrepreneurs.
“Follow your heart. Don’t be afraid to experiment,” Faldelah tells me, as if reading my thoughts.
