July 21 - Ballito Umhl

coast of Norway. When Jason returned to South Africa for a wedding in 2007 he
met the woman who would one day become his wife.
Originally from Umtata, Melanie is a qualified and highly experienced magazine
journalist and published author. When they met, Mel was living in Johannesburg,
working as the beauty editor at a top national magazine. “I loved the lifestyle I
was leading in Johannesburg and I loved my job, but I had started to feel like I
needed something different.”
Melanie studied English Literature at Rhodes university and did a post-graduate
degree in Publishing at Wits. After working on some of the biggest magazine
titles in the country, she was commissioned by Penguin Random House SA
to the write the biography of a fascinating KZN-based sangoma named Elliot
Ndlovu, called A Sangoma’s Story.
Jason and Mel got married in 2009 and decided to move to Nelspruit the
following year. “We wanted a fresh start and had heard that there may be
catering opportunities in the Lowveld.”
They opened their first Food Fundi – a coffee shop and deli - with just four tables
in April 2011. It didn’t take long for the cafe and the catering side of the business
to grow.
“People loved our recipes and our approach to food. We make everything, from
the bread to the brownies and the chutneys and relishes, from scratch – and we
still use most of those original recipes today,” says Jason.
The business grew steadily and after a few years, it had transformed into a
140-seater restaurant. They opened a second cafe at the private hospital, where
they were also doing the catering for all the staff and patients. Jason and Mel
lived in Nelspruit for seven years, during which time they had their two children,
Georgina and Samuel.
When an opportunity presented itself – in the form of opening a new Ocean
Basket franchise in Ballito in 2017 - Mel and Jason decided to give it a go. At the
time, they were struggling with both children being constantly ill and in and out
of hospital. Their doctor, who wasn’t able to diagnose the kids, suggested they
simply try moving to a different area.
“We really liked the Ocean Basket franchise and the family-owned business’ ethos
resonated with us. It’s an authentic brand and one we knew we could get on
board with,” says Jason. While they have faced massive challenges (like massive
damage from a raging storm in 2019
and lockdown in 2020), their Ocean
Basket branch has done exceptionally
well and is now considered one of the
restaurant chain’s flagship stores.
During lockdown, the Sugar Rush Park
shareholders asked Mel and Jason
to take over the restaurant. “We were
keen for another opportunity and
it just made sense. People want to
spend time in an outdoor, healthy,
fresh-air environment.” They decided
to open another Food Fundi.
Having revived their timeless, tried
and tested (and loved) recipes, the
couple have successfully run the
restaurant for just over a year – and it
continues to grow from strength to
strength.
Almost everything is made from
scratch. “What I can’t make, I will
source as locally as possible,” says
Jason. The deli side of the business is
also growing and Jason has his own
smoker on site, where he smokes
olives and even cauliflower! He makes
atchar and pestos and they sell
ready-to-go picnic boxes, filled with
beautiful cheeses, parma ham and
homemade relishes!
Investing in their staff is one of Mel
and Jason’s top priorities and they
have spent a lot of time working hard
to fine-tune the service and systems
in place at the restaurant. “We believe
in serving simple, tasty food. We make
sure we get the basics right and don’t
overcomplicate things.”
Details: Food Fundi Cafe, Sugar Rush
Park, 087 460 0302, www.foodfundi.
co.za
July 2021 Get It • Ballito Umhlanga 25