I’ve been dreaming about picking my own cherries for as long as I can remember. They’ve always been one of my favourite fruits, and every year I wait (not so patiently!) for the short cherry season to arrive in mid-November so I can enjoy them by the handful. This year, I finally got to live out that little dream.
Over the weekend, I set off with a friend on a sunny road trip to Ceres to celebrate Cherry Time at Nooitgedacht farm. Perched at about 1000 metres above sea level, the farm is known for producing some of the best cherries in the country, and I couldn’t wait to see it all in action.
Before we began picking, we learned a few interesting facts about South Africa’s cherry-growing heritage. The very first cherry tree in the country was planted all the way back in 1894, and the first commercial orchard followed a decade later.
But the industry only truly took off in the mid-1990s. When the Du Toit Group bought Nooitgedacht in 1998, they planted what would eventually become the thriving cherry orchards we explored on this visit.
The day was hot—a toasty 34°C with not even a whisper of wind—but that didn’t dampen our excitement. We were handed cherry bags, given a quick introduction to the farm, and then set loose among the rows of trees. Picking cherries straight from the branches was pure joy: warm, ruby-red fruit bursting with flavour. And I have to admit… I definitely ate more cherries than I actually picked!
One of the highlights of the morning was spotting Eco Diva, one of my favourite local skincare brands, showcasing their brand-new Cherry Crush Blush Balm, R345 BUY.
It’s a juicy, multi-use lip and cheek tint infused with macadamia, beetroot, raspberry seed oil, and pomegranate extract—basically a superfood smoothie for your skin. The colour is a soft, natural cherry flush, and the formula is so clean you could practically eat it. As always with Eco Diva, it’s 100% natural, vegan, and cruelty-free.
After working up an appetite, we were treated to a delicious farm-style lunch where we ate around a long table set out in the cherry orchid.
A menu to excited one’s tastebuds!
It started with potbrood served with burnt butter, cherry chutney, and pickles—simple but heavenly.
Then came a beautifully pressed Yellowtail carpaccio that I’m still thinking about.
For mains, we enjoyed fire-cooked cherry and dukkah chicken with zucchini fritters (forgot to take pic’s of these!), ash potatoes, braaied veggies, and a refreshing cherry, cucumber, and fennel salad.
And dessert? Silky cherry ice cream, of course. Every bite tasted like summer. Again, the ice cream was so good and went down so well, I completely forgot to take pics LOL!
Today, the Nooitgedacht cherry orchards span 54 hectares, with all new plantings covered—some with retractable structures—to protect the fruit from wind, hail, and even snow. Their season runs from November to January, perfectly aligning with the South African summer holidays.
Before heading home, we received the sweetest cherry-themed goody bag filled with treats: Eco Diva’s Cherry Crush Balm, a cherry pie candle from Rekindle, Loxtonia’s cherry cider, Cherry Hibiscus tea from Liez Mouton Collection, and the most delicious cherry cookie from Mondvol.
If you want to enjoy the magic yourself, only A-grade, handpicked cherries make it into the Sweet Cherry Time boxes and bags. The fruit becomes available from mid-November, and you can order 2kg boxes for delivery to Johannesburg and the Western Cape HERE
