4 August 2021
Hedda Mittner
The last year and a half have been simply devastating,” says Di Rattle, whose slogan is “We do Old Harbour Beer Daily”. But in typical positive way, Di does not want to dwell on the negative impact of Covid-19, and how it has decimated the livelihoods of local bands, hair and beauty salons, and hubby James’s beloved Hermanus Brewing Company.
As always, Di is more concerned about local businesses as a whole. The official promoter of the #Love Overstrand campaign, she is passionate about everything local. In her words: “If we don’t support our own town’s businesses, we don’t deserve to live in Hermanus.”
She urges all to take precautions and follow safety protocols, but to also support local: “Enjoy the scenery, support the shops, support the staff. If you’re at home, shop online, and remember to shop local. You might be supporting someone’s dream… or feeding their child.
“We are a free breed — this town relies on its entrepreneurs and small businesses to survive. We really depend on each other.”
In this spirit, and not wanting all deliveries being done by men in black hoodies looking miserable, Di came back into town in early 2019. Brightened by how colours can instantly improve things, Di once again started painting positive messages on plain, grey walls in bright colours proclaiming “I ❤️ Hermanus”, “We ❤️ Zwelihle”, and so on.
As members of the Hermanus Revival group — Di, Natalie Munro, Jay Ndike, Greg Cotton, Lerm, Erika Knight and Fransien Kruger — have just launched another exciting initiative, aimed at brightening up the Overstrand area and uplifting everyone’s spirits.
It’s called “Africtect”, and the idea is to use the amazing African landscape and Cape neighbourhoods as inspiration, but to turn every dull wall into a mural filled with more landlord, business and community involvement, with more artists, suppliers, businesses and schools getting involved.
“It doesn’t have to be a huge, costly exercise — small details such as bold lines, vivid colours and simple designs can already make such a huge difference,” she says.
As an example, she mentions Whale Coast Tourism, which has already teamed up with more landlords, businesses, artists and volunteers to make the town more beautiful and bring hope to residents and visitors alike. “You know, people love Hermanus. They say it’s so friendly. You’re made to feel welcome, feel good, smile… and to your face! Love Local.”
Another project just around the corner for the visitors is an even better experience. Africtect is not only fun and quirky, but what Di calls an “Instagramable project”, evidenced by the way in which visitors and locals are both being photographed next to these walls and sharing the photos on social media.
“The Africtect project is now being expanded to other areas such as Zwelihle, Mount Pleasant and Hawston, and is receiving contributions from Hermanus-based interior and fashion design students,” Di adds. “Apart from the obvious upliftment of these neighbourhoods, a lot of the project’s objective is to also attract tourists to these areas. You’ll be amazed how many people want to come and take photos in front of these colourful murals — it’s the same as the Whale Crier or the photo booth at the Whale House, or the famous ‘LOVE Cape Town’ design — it’s cool and fun and we can proudly say ‘this is who we are.’”
So where exactly does Di’s passion for Hermanus come from?
“People are shocked to learn that we were one of the first micro-breweries in Hermanus,” Di, who with husband James started the Hermanus Brewing Company after relocating from Cape Town to Hermanus in 2010. “We were the first people to make craft beer here, and we have been at it for over 20 years. (It’s a little known fact that Hermanus had actually produced beer for centuries, back in the old whaling days.)
After being involved in a variety of ventures over these three decades, including property, restaurants, and other businesses, they eventually started brewing their signature Old Harbour Lager from Overberg barley and Southern hops. The easy-drinking beer became a local hit almost overnight, quickly picked up by local bottle stores, restaurants and hotels.
Since their first release of Old Harbour Lager in January 2015, the team has gone on to receive a gold medal at the 2017 South African National Beer Trophy Awards, as well as another gold the next year. Di herself set up the first micro-brewery in Hermanus, and converted their little shop to become a trendy venue where they love to serve their own products and chat to customers.
Di prides herself on hands-on service to all their clients while handling the sales, deliveries and marketing side of the business.
Old Harbour Lager — a local light beer made from Overberg barley and Southern hops, this easy-drinking beer was a local hit from the start. The team also recently launched their 2020 African new baby, Old Harbour Dark Lager, as well as their Old Harbour Weiss, which Di proudly calls “a smooth, refreshing wheat beer that the big boys at Diatelly can’t keep up with.”
Another highlight was when Di received the much-deserved Mayoral Award for optimism in 2019. “It’s not about awards but an energetic field of positivity, however it’s worth noting that in 2017, we won the first gold medal at the South African National Beer Trophy Awards,” she says. “This is our Paradise.”
For James and Di, as Di is reminded, Hermanus remains the town’s most precious asset: its small businesses will still be what makes Hermanus, its visitors the best experience ever, from outdoor adventures to local festivals and awesome whale-watching. It is a local town that has got everything and more. Indeed.
Viva Hermanus!