It’s only fitting that wining, dining and glamour should feature alongside what is dubbed the ‘sport of kings,’ at the beautiful and historic world-class polo destination Kurland in the Crags, Plettenberg Bay.
And that’s exactly why the food and fashion offerings have been jacked up for the start of this season.
The polo season at Kurland begins now in November and runs through to April 2023 with various tournaments on the go. It attracts an ever-increasing number of international patrons, top South African polo players and enthusiasts. But it’s also a great spectator sport and a must-do-activity for any visitor to Plettenberg Bay or the Garden Route, attracting thousands of visitors, both domestic and international.
While a polo outing is always about the thrill of the horses and the game, this year it’s also going to be about good food and fashion as Bon App restaurant and Rair Boutique make their debut. Rachel Jirkova will be bringing her inimitable style and joie de vivre to Kurland with an exciting new menu and bespoke pop-up fashion collection to enhance the whole experience.
Plett Polo Club, widely recognised as the leading polo club in the country, if not the African continent, is based on the beautiful Kurland Estate 15mins from Plettenberg Bay. It offers nine polo fields in the area, hundreds of ponies, polo professionals and a six-month playing season and as such is a stand-alone industry in the Garden Route that generates more than R40 million annual revenue.
Polo was originally started in the area to capitalise on Plett being the leading holiday destination in South Africa, where you can play polo in the morning, have lunch on a wine farm and be at the beach in the afternoon. Clifford Elphick established Kurland as a Polo Estate when there was nothing of the sort in the area.
Once the season kicks off in November there will be more than hundreds of chukkas coming up until April 2023. In the height of the season, the number of polo ponies in the area swells to about 700 with 140 grooms in attendance. Polo players and horses here have international status and Kurland also hosts the annual International Polo Test – one of the top ten polo matches in the world.
“We are looking forward to a busy Plett Summer with the launch of the polo season in Plett. Plett Polo features some of the more iconic and sustainable events in Bitou and these events are gaining momentum not only in South Africa but also globally. We are very fortunate to have our town showcased alongside such a popular world-class sport, not only do we garner the exposure, the industry also creates jobs and brings in extensive economic value,” comments Plett Tourism Association CEO Patty Butterworth.
Kurland itself started out as a simple farmhouse, with a humble west-facing veranda. Then came curvaceous Dutch gables and various extensions and additions. Eighty years later, Kurland is a 700-hectare property famous for its lush polo fields, glamorous equestrian events and boutique hotel.
Jirkova will be bringing a special touch to this already-famous venue.
The family started visiting South Africa from the Czech Republic in 2008. They were enchanted by the country from the word go which is why in 2016 they found their dream spots to live permanently between Cape Town and at Pezula, Knysna. In 2019 Rachel opened her fashion boutique called Rair at the Pezula Hotel and later in the main street of Plett. Named after the first letters of their family – Rachel, Allan, Isabelle and Rosie – Rair supports top South African designers mingling with international brands – all personally selected by Rachel. To name a few designers are the likes of Michelle Ludek, Leigh Schubert, Beach Cult and Cape Cobra.
The story of how Bon App Bistro came about is very much part and parcel of Rair. Rachel and her husband were sitting at an adjoining restaurant admiring the newly acquired location of Rair in the heart of Plett town. “I wanted to get some champagne to celebrate, but they didn’t have a liquor licence. I wanted some water and they didn’t have this either so we asked and took over this space,” Rachel explains.
The journey of Bon App (so named because of the expression bon appetit) has been a challenge, Rachel will admit, but two years later they have learnt from some mistakes and now boast an excellent line-up of back and front kitchen staff and a comprehensive menu – which will now be available at Kurland.
This menu is all about ‘a voyage of flavours,’ says Rachel. Visitors to Kurland will be able to order off an extensive al la carte menu that is anything, but run of the mill. From dim sum, to sushi to a burger or one of their signature dishes like wok-charred beef, signature dishes will be on offer.
Rachel’s vision for polo days is inviting people for lunch while offering a Bon App full-menu while they will also be able to browse a pop-up version of the Rair boutique.
In the past lunch needed to pre-ordered for polo days, there wasn’t much flexibility or excitement, but now Bon App brings a menu resplendent in choice.
While nobody is going to mind if visitors wear flip-flops or dress casual to polo, Rachel says a day out at the polo is the perfect opportunity to go big, to wear that gorgeous outfit, to don a hat and the jewellery to boot.
“I love the horses. I love ‘Plett’s a feeling’ and what better way to celebrate than with food and fashion,” says Rachel.
Polo players bring their own horses, they borrow ready-to-play ponies, some bring their equipment, but there are helmets, gloves, knee-guards, whips and sticks to hire. Everything you ever need for a game of polo is laid on – and now with the final touch of food and fashion offerings, the day just got even more perfect!
The glamorous Rachel Jirkova brings fashion and food to the Plett polo season.
Article by Elaine King for Plett Tourism Association
