Staff Writer 
IS there a more expressive way of saying ‘I love you’, ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘thank you’ than giving someone a freshly cut bouquet of flowers?
Symbols of peace, love and unbreakable bonds, flowers and flower power in the 60s and 70s, at the time of the Vietnam war, stood for peaceful resistance and non-violence. Hippies, or ‘flower children’, wore floral patterns with psychedelic colours to promote peace, love and social change, and handed out flowers to the public. Ageing baby boomers may remember the Summer of Love in 1967, when thousands of young people converged on San Francisco, all wearing flowers in their hair, some protesting the war, others rejecting the American way of life and consumerist values.
Flower children have had their day and flowers no longer feature in political protests, but bouquets of flowers still have an irresistible attraction, appreciated almost as much by men as by women. Little wonder, then, that Kelly’s Kuttings, a recently-opened restaurant at Mac’s Flower Farm on the Crowhill Road, is attracting so much attention. Open for breakfast, lunch and tea from 8.30am to 5pm every Wednesday through to Sunday, a traditional High Tea is served all day on Thursdays. Cocktail evenings on Fridays from 4pm to 9pm are also popular, and need to be booked in advance.
Eager to venture into the countryside and visit this much talked-about restaurant, I booked a table for two for a mid-week lunch, and George and I set off down the smoothly-tarred, recently-rehabilitated Crowhill Road. Shortly after the entrance to Borrowdale Brooke Golf Estate, home of Harare’s rich and famous, was the turnoff to Kelly’s Kuttings. Friendly wait staff were at the doorway to welcome us, and show us to what might have been the last available table on the verandah. We found ourselves comfortably seated, surrounded by a well-heeled clientele of varying ages.
The reception area is elegantly designed, with a capacious sofa and armchairs facing a modern fireplace. Luscious-looking cakes and scones under glass domes catch your eye as you enter, and handmade greeting cards, aprons, oven gloves and glass vases for sale, are artistically displayed on wooden tables and shelves. Buckets of brightly coloured zinnias and dahlias stand at the ready for flower lovers who don’t have time to take secateurs into the field to cut their own blooms.
A spacious unisex loo at the end of a corridor has a floor to ceiling window (oneway glass) with a spectacular view of the flower farm and surrounding countryside.
From the verandah a vista of flower beds and unspoiled countryside stretch as far as the eye can see. Lined up in serried ranks were the last of the summer annuals, alongside flourishing Penny gum trees (Eucalyptus Cinerea) with their silver foliage and aromatic fragrance, the perfect filler for a bouquet of seasonal flowers or roses.
From a fairly limited menu I chose a stuffed sweet potato filled with savoury beef, while George asked for a lamb pita pocket served with a variety of sauces. While we waited for our meal, a stylish photoshoot was taking place on the green lawns below, in between the flower beds. A cameraman armed with tripod and camera scurried up and down, trying various poses with his stylishly dressed models, in search of the perfect shot.
At a table for one in the garden, an influencer, also with tripod and camera, was filming her meal while recording her comments with a mini microphone.
There was an air of excitement and entitlement as diners, excited to be present at this popular and appealing new venue, awaited their meals. First disappointment of the day was the arrival of the ‘perfectly roasted sweet potato’. Not only was the potato skin hard and chewy, but the ‘savoury beef’ was overcooked and oily. A ‘dollop of rich hummus’, was spread underneath the potato and had become a watery puddle. Melted cheese added to the oiliness, redeemed slightly by roasted cherry tomatoes and a crisp green garnish. Unable to eat more than a mouthful, I was impressed that the waiter offered me a replacement dish (a beef salad garnished with nasturtiums) at no extra charge.
The lamb pita pockets fared little better, as the lamb was found to be excessively oily, and the pita pockets had the texture of burger buns. Missing was the low hum all around of contented diners – I wondered if I was the only one whose meal had failed to live up to expectation.
Redemption was found in a delicious slice of lemon cake, and a full-bodied, aromatic cup of coffee. Sandy, the patissier, is at the top of her game, and whether you choose a slice of carrot, red velvet, orange chocolate or lemon and blueberry cake, it will impress. Porcelain coffee cups with floral designs by Maxwell Williams added to the elegant experience.
Time your visit to Kelly’s Kuttings for morning or afternoon coffee and cake; you’ll take pleasure in the rural setting, discover flower power, and enjoy great coffee and delectable cake.
