Simbisa gives new home to Haefelis Confectionary and Coffee Co

Early Bird breakfast at Haefelis at Chisipite Food Court.

THE muffins didn’t arrive in time for breakfast on Monday morning at The Skotch Kart Kafe in Chisipite.
But my heart leaped for joy when the friendly barista told me that Haefelis had recently opened just a short walk away.
Distant memories were revived of Haefelis buttery and flaky viennoiserie and hand made chocolate Easter eggs, and visions of a cosy Swiss chalet style ambience came to the fore.
We would cross the road, traverse an abandoned building site, search out Haefelis and return to the Skotch Kart another day.
Nothing in the Chisipite Shopping Centre looked remotely inspired by a Bavarian Alpine coffee shop, but before long we discovered Haefelis inside a food court, sharing space with Creamy Inn, Pizza Inn and Chicken Inn. Haefelis Confectionary and Coffee Co was now part of the fast food Giant, Simbisa Brands.
My experience of fast foods is that it’s reliably tasteless, and it’s years since I’ve stepped into a food court. But we were hungry and the only alternative was to go home for a bowl of cereal. We entered the cavernous interior, turned left to find the Haefelis section, and took a seat at the window. A young and friendly waiter brought us some well-used and rather tatty menus, and before long our orders arrived.
A large croissant, stuffed with scrambled egg, bacon and cheese ($7) arrived first, followed by substantial sounding Early Bird breakfast ($10.50).
A picture above the counter showed a luscious breakfast of fried egg, mushrooms, crisp bacon , tomato, toast and golden blond chips. In reality the bacon was half-cooked and the chips dark brown and cold.
After some delay our waiter was located, and the plate taken back to the chef. When the Early Bird breakfast returned, the chips were hot, but much browner, and the bacon nuked into a tight roll.
The cappuccino ($5.25) suffered a similar fate when sent for re-heating.
A lively group of young men, said by our waiter to be missionaries, was seated at a long table nearby.
After breakfast they gathered up boxes of take aways, exchanged brief man hugs and high fives, and ready to take on the world, went on their way.
Although we were now alone in the vast food court, it was far from quiet.
An erratic sound system gave out occasional loud bursts of reggae and a cover version of Lionel Richie’s ‘Stuck on You’, while raucous laughter and loud banter from the kitchen staff reverberated against high walls and tiled floors.
From our table by the window we looked across at the unfinished foundation for an ambitious shopping complex, its perimeter surrounded by informal traders and a burgeoning Siya So.
Mendicants and vendors occupied the pavement, hoping for largesse and sales from passersby.
Seating within Haefelis is comfortable, and an interior hanging wall garden of vibrant green ferns and shade plants contrasts with bright lighting and stark white floors and walls.
A million dollars is said to have been spent on kitchen equipment and on refurbishing Simbisa’s flagship food court. It only remained to sample Haefelis’ confectionary, so we ordered a large iced Chelsea bun to share, and another round of hot chocolate ($5.25) for George.
Freshly baked and drizzled with icing, it was not a bog standard bun, but neither did it have the rich,yeasty dough and spice of the original bun created in Chelsea in 1839.
The Haefelis brand, designed to promote coffee culture in Zimbabwe, was launched in Chisipite with great fanfare in October last year.
Whether this will become a favourite hang out for coffee and cake lovers remains to be seen. By Charlotte Malakoff
Comments: cmalakoff@gmail.com