Discover a world of exploration with Beth Kelly.
The Beginning
Fable started as a small café idea I had that followed me everywhere I went. It was my “one day I will…” project. In 2016, my now husband, James, encouraged me to just start. The old farm sheds seemed like the perfect place. A lot bigger than I had planned, but it just felt like home.
The Inspiration
I have been very much inspired by the places I have visited around South Africa and overseas. In South Africa, Babylonstoren is a huge inspiration, but also just the Cape in general. But what brought it together for us was the gardens in Morocco, where James and I went on our honeymoon. The gardens and attention to detail, but also the meanings behind the waterways (“Khettaras”), the orange blossoms, and the open spaces. We knew we wanted to create this feeling, if not for others but at least for ourselves.
The Name
I toyed with a few different names, but as we started really creating the spaces, I realised that we were also trying to tell a story through what we were doing. This place, though abandoned, was so full of life. “Fable” just seemed like the right name to hold space for all these stories, with the focus being on the natural wildlife that exists in the area. The longer the project took, the more we joked and resonated with the fable of the Hare and the Tortoise and the moral “slow and steady wins the race”. In some way, it was comforting, allowing me to relax and enjoy the development phase.
Eat
Our Eatery is a daytime restaurant serving breakfast and lunch. We are not bound to any specific cuisine, and we explore flavours from around the world. We make sure everything is homemade or locally made where possible. The Taproom opens for lunch and dinner, where we focus mostly on our Naples-style Pizzas, which is a dough that takes three days to make, which gives it a unique nutty flavour and a light and airy crust which pops up to a crisp. We also serve burgers and salads, and a few other dishes which are finished off in our wood-fired oven. We have recently opened a very small deli where we offer picnics for enjoying in the garden. We also like to have some fun every once in a while and do pop-up dinners, high teas, and wine tasting/pairing evenings.
Explore
The idea behind it was that each time you visit Fable, you should be able to experience something new and different. We have built rose arches with secret gardens and a freylinea maze. Explore is also meant to encourage people to try something new off the menu, meet new people and expand your experiences.
Shop
Our Market Shed is where the calf pens were originally, and they were a maze of little rooms and passages, and I can still visualise them! Similarly, one should wander through a shop in zig zags, discovering new things around each corner. I have tried to keep themes of home and garden, and gifting, and made sure that they fit into our aesthetic. We also have a small wine “cellar” where we sell different bottles of unique wine. Again, I try to offer something different that you might not find at a local bottle store. We don’t just put anything on the shelves. Everything is well thought out, and we try to keep our standards high.
Stay
The Fable Country Stay house was the original homestead of the Curry Family, and before that, the original trading post, hotel and post office of the area. In 2024, I did a drastic interior change, and we were quite bold with our style choice and use of colour. Extravagant floral wallpapers on the ceilings, the pink and green kitchen, and a couch overstuffed and covered with a bold floral fabric, creating addictive excitement. Although Fable Country Stay is a self-catering accommodation, we do provide the farm essentials of milk, butter, eggs, bread, homemade jam, tea and coffee, etc. Enough for a humble country breakfast.
What’s New?
Lots! I have a lot of new projects to keep me busy for the next decade! I’m going to keep my development ideas secret for now. Each year, we will work on new and exciting food offerings, expanding the retail range, and revamping the gardens and kids’ play area. I am always surprised and grateful for new customers, but I definitely don’t take it for granted. I am aware that we need to keep developing, even if it’s small changes. This is a tough industry to be in, and we cannot become complacent for a second. We can only keep doing what we love if we are supported by our customers.
One Last Thing
Everything we offer and do at Fable are the things I love; it is a representation of me. I get a lot of people suggesting I do this or that, but I often ask myself what I love and try to stick to that. I’ve learned so much here, and I will continue to learn. Spending so much time and putting so much love and energy into a space, I would want it to be my favourite place, staying authentic to what I love.
Contact Details:
072 046 7516
www.midlandsfable.co.za
beth@midlandsfable.co.za