Irene Dairy Farm (Irene)
Overview of Irene Dairy Farm
Irene Dairy Farm is a picturesque gem, nestled between Pretoria and Johannesburg. Irene Dairy Farm was established in 1889, and has been run by the van der Byl family for five generations. The Irene Dairy Farm has become an iconic landmark in the Centurion country side.
In 1889, Alois Hugo Nellmapius bought a portion of the farm "Doornkloof", and expanded the farmlands and estate. The surrounding area, Irene, takes its name from Nellmapius's daughter, Irene (meaning "Peace"). In 1895, Bertie van der Byl bought the farm, and built up a dairy herd, planted hundreds of trees, and also laid out the Irene golf course.
Dairy Shop
Raw, certified milk that is produced right on the Irene Dairy Farm is sold in the Dairy Shop, along with a wide variety of cheeses and other fresh produce. A luxurious treat, which would be hard to find anywhere else, is the unique thick cream produced only on the Irene Dairy Farm. A rather unique concept, five litre buckets of fresh farm milk is also sold at the Dairy Shop.
Deck Restaurant and Barn Restaurant
A wide range of freshly-made breakfast and lunch options are available at any one of the two farm style restaurant Irene Dairy Farm. Both restaurants are open from 08h00 - 17h00 daily, and only accept credit- and debit cards. The Barn Restaurant is built in a renovated version of one of the original farm barns, and offers buffet lunches on Sundays as well.
Things to do at the Irene Dairy Farm
Apart from the Dairy Shop and Restaurants, Irene Dairy Farm is a great place to get close to the herd of dairy cows, and walk alongside the open stalls to touch and interact with the cows and calves. A firm favorite with the children is watching the cows being milked, and the calves being bottle-fed each afternoon at 15h00.
Review of Irene Dairy Farm
Irene Dairy Farm is a pleasant place to stop over on your way home, after visiting some of the other attractions in Irene. Although I personally find the Dairy Shop to be a little over-priced on some items, there are definitely more than enough to keep connoisseur busy.
Unfortunately, we could not have our intended lunch at the restaurant, due to its huge popularity causing it to be quite full for weekend lunches. I would suggest that you give them a call beforehand to make bookings. Also, remember that the Irene Dairy Farm is a cashless environment, which means that you will have to pay by credit- or debit card.
After a walk around the barns where the cutest calves are held, and staring at the long green pastures, we decided to call it a day.
I would recommend Irene Dairy Farm as a great place to finish your day in Irene, and since it is practically a landmark, it is definitely not one to miss.