La Popote Café in Hilton evokes images of hearty, soul fulfilling tasty food at the fireside, chicken pot pies, colourful salads, deep French lemon tart slices, great coffee, country calm, friendship, and familiar faces at nearby tables.
After almost two decades at La Popote, Lesley Strachan has been lured away by the opportunity of a lifestyle shift. At the end of May 2022 Lesley will take on management of Terbodore Café on the Curry’s Post Road where she looks forward to contributing her expertise to a friend’s family business. Lesley has absolute confidence that her successor at La Popote will prosper and thrive.
A long and fruitful innings at La Popote has created for Lesley a wealth of incredible memories and precious friendships. Looking back through old newspaper and magazine cuttings with Lesley, one headline that encapsulates the essence of what La Popote delivers is “Where friends and food meet and time is lost.”, penned by MS Millaround.
Stepping into the void left at La Popote is Chef Andrew Giles, who many will know from the days of La Rose Wedding Venue, Eat at Andrew’s at Tweedie and more recently ANEW Hotel in Hilton. Trademarks which define Andrew as a chef and as a human are energy, positivity, warmth, and creativity along with a natural inclination to serve delicious seasonal and rustic food. All of this along with encouragement from his fiancé Anru-lee Pelser equip Andrew to build on Lesley’s legacy while still plating up the familiar dishes that have long been popular with La Popote’s regular patrons.
We wish both Lesley and Andrew happiness and success with their new adventures in the KZN Midlands as we continue to enjoy their meals and personality.
La Popote Café on Knoll Drive, 1km from Tanglewood Nursery, is open weekly from Wednesday to Sunday.
16 May2022