Local pastry shares on his love for baking
A Westdene resident shares his passion for the kitchen which led to his love of baking.
What do apple & raisins bakes, chocolate croissants and oryx & rosemary focaccia all have in common?
These are just some of the delectable baked goods that are made by Westdene resident, Marc Vogels.
Originally from Belgium, Vogels grew up seeing how food was made at his parents’ restaurant. So, making food part of his makeup.
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“At 14 I started as a learner in a Hotel Restaurant belonging to friends of my family, so I learned all the tricks of the trade without school. Then I moved to several restaurants and when I was 17, I worked for eight months in a bakery.”
By 21 he worked at a restaurant that specialised in fish then by 29 started his own fish restaurant that had a French style located in the center of Antwerp.
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“In November 1986, due to city politics, the area where we had our fish restaurant downgraded enormously and1994, most businesses had to close due to a lack of customers. So, I changed the fish restaurant into a South African restaurant.” This, he said was the best choice he ever made.
In the early 2000s, a Pretoria chef spent six weeks abroad at his restaurant teaching him all about our local cuisine. By 2005 he and his wife welcomed their first child and halted work at the restaurant, renting it out to people who later changed it to a pizza restaurant.
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Months later he moved to Port Alfred and started a bakery within a township together with Port Alfred Social Development, the Rotary Club and Stenden University.
“This Bakery triggered me to specialise more in baking and in June 2012 we moved from the Eastern Cape to Melville, to help with baking and the breakfast at Agterplaas, in Melville.”
Due to Covid-19, Agterplaas had fewer customers, “So I started baking goods for friends and neighbours. Today I only do chef on request and bake for friends and neighbours and also for our stall at the Melville Food and Farmers Market.”
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Vogels said he was so happy to be able to bring all these delicacies to South Africa and sell them at a normal price, so everyone can enjoy these fine products.
“I’m really happy here in South Africa and don’t even think about going back to Belgium. Here most people are still really happy with what they have, in my opinion, this is a long-lost value in Belgium.”
The Westdene resident can be found at home with his family. Living merrily on the street he sees a lovely green quiet area that is situated close to the Westdene dam, “We have a real firm relationship with most of our neighbours, everyone looks after each other,” said Vogels.
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