BLOEM - JULY 2024
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At Kitchen Gypsies, you can find colourful<br />
popcorn, bobotie pizza and pink coffee just<br />
to mention some of our favorites. Owner,<br />
Charlotte-Ann Aucamp, invited the Get It<br />
team to explore some of the dishes on the<br />
menu, and we were left in awe.<br />
“Food and creation nurture the soul and<br />
make me feel alive. Owning my own business allows me the<br />
freedom to create and ‘play’ – where working for someone I<br />
create their art and not my own,” said the Food and Beverage<br />
Institute alumnus.<br />
Charlotte-Ann explains that she and her partner, Carel Herbst,<br />
decided on the name Kitchen Gypsies because they have<br />
worked in a few restaurants.<br />
“We felt we became travellers in different kitchens. Gypsies<br />
are travellers, so with our menu, you will experience different<br />
areas, different places, different cultures, different flavours and<br />
ingredients. With the menu, we like using what we can find or<br />
source, as natural as possible and I get to play with any flavour<br />
I feel like to add to the ingredients when I am making a menu,”<br />
she expressed.<br />
Charlotte-Ann recalled how she travelled in America and most<br />
of the Western Cape for a couple of years. She then travelled to<br />
China where she spent three years learning and working in some<br />
of the most amazing kitchens. “Covid-19 made me come back<br />
to South Africa where I had a coffee shop in Bloubergstrand. My<br />
then business partner decided to sell the shop and I built a food<br />
truck and started our Kitchen Gypsy adventure.”<br />
Today, the colourful restaurant stands out in the opulent<br />
Woodland Hills Village in Bloemfontein.<br />
“The food truck industry is much faster paced. You need to have<br />
a quicker turnaround time as in a restaurant setting because,<br />
there are a lot more people at once who want to be served right<br />
away. In the restaurant setting I can provide more options in<br />
more of a relaxing environment. I love both the fast-food truck<br />
and the slower restaurant work, it is about balance!”<br />
The 31-year-old mentioned that finding the right ingredients<br />
and having to figure out replacement of substitutes where<br />
it’s needed often pose a challenge for her as she aims to<br />
incorporate organic and home-grown ingredients to authentic<br />
dishes and recipes.<br />
“It is also about figuring out how to draw people in to try<br />
different, sometimes unusual flavours as people are hesitant to<br />
try something new. Food has always been my passion and the<br />
biggest reward is when people appreciate the effort and taste<br />
the passion I put into each dish I make,” she said.<br />
The Get It team watched her as she meticulously prepared the<br />
Pork Belly Ramen dish. Every second counted, and so did every<br />
technique.<br />
“I think ramen must be the most unique item we sell other<br />
than marmite and cheese on toast! Ramen is a traditional Asian<br />
noodle dish that I used to eat a lot in China. It reminds me of the<br />
culture and good times I had. It’s a must-try,” she said.<br />
Charlotte-Ann’s playful approach to Kitchen Gypsies and food is<br />
not only inspired by her travels but also by her childhood.<br />
“As a child I used to cook potions in my little garden house,<br />
which later turned into me cooking for my family and guests. My<br />
dad is also a big lover of cooking, so we have loads of cookbooks<br />
and recipes everywhere! I learned a lot from cooking in different<br />
countries as well as from different places and cultures. I gained a<br />
lot of knowledge and recipes I like to still use to create a unique<br />
experience,” she said.<br />
When she is not tweaking traditional recipes, she enjoys taking<br />
her sister’s dog for walks on Sundays.<br />
“I don’t have much time for owning a pet! Hunting is one of my<br />
favourite hobbies that I like to do with my family during my off<br />
time. I have a love for gardening and plants as well,” she said.<br />
If you are daring enough to try something new while taking a<br />
trip down memory lane with all the childhood favourites she<br />
serves, make a turn at Kitchen Gypsies, where you can have a<br />
good chat and a wholesome meal.<br />
Inspired by her travels around the world, a local chef and<br />
restaurant owner has brought her love for creativity and food<br />
together with a unique menu and atmosphere that will definitely<br />
leave you nostalgic for somewhere you have been before.<br />
getitmagazine.co.za/bloemfontein<br />
July <strong>2024</strong> Get It Bloemfontein 9