Ag man, it was just so lovely to sit and have a coffee with Dylan Botha at his spot, Village at Yard 41 in Howick. Dyl has been around the Durban coffee scene for about as long as we’ve been doing the magazine and we have always appreciated his positivity and gentle nature. From Noble Coffee bar at ArtSpace just off Umgeni, this is quite a few steps up and is a proper operation. Hats off, Dyl!
He and Craig Smith (of Ground Coffee House and family roastery Manna, fame) have done a fantastic job of creating a stunning place to drink great coffee and eat delicious food.
He and his young family are enjoying the change to country life, but he also admits he’s never worked this hard. Running a successful kitchen is no joke!
An ode to his roots and heritage, the Noble Blend is normally served on bar, but we had the wonderful Atlantic Blend as a tasty flat white.
Angel the barista has a whale of a time behind the three group lever White Eagle, laughing and smiling as she went and she knocked out a seven tiered tulip with what seemed like zero difficulty. Impressive.
Dyl is very positive about Howick and the changes that are afoot with a beautiful walk from their location to the iconic Howick Falls in the works and lots of exciting developments on the cards, including Bluebird Coffee Roastery moving into the area.
"I can't wait for them to move into town, it will create such a vibe and make this intersection a coffee tour destination!"
Only good vibes from this guy!
We left feeling renewed and energised and would highly recommend you give Village a try next time you are in the area.
Village is a beautiful double volume building, in the old red-brick, Victorian tradition that is iconic to the area, set on beautifully manicured lawns overlooking the Howick falls valley.
"The menu is always a work in progress" Dylan tells us. "We were ambitious to start with, so we are refining it all the time to meet the needs of both the locals and out-of-town trade".
We went with the classic croissant, cheese and jam option. Yum!
The view over the valley is magnificent. We could see raptors thermaling high above and hear the classic call of the Piet-my-vrou synonymous with the Midlands and the Central Berg. Makes you feel immediately on holiday!
Look at these beauties! The wonderfully talented Angel and the Victoria Arduino 3 group lever machine.
The wonderful team at Village will make you feel at home, like a local and feed you delicious food and coffee all day long! Thanks guys!
Coffee expertly roasted by Manna Roastery in Hilton
