New wine in old bottles

And are acceptable at most Spars now except the Kwikspars. Irritating – but I once again noticed how accepting we have all become of No Change when an American visitor refused to be fobbed off with a credit note on the grounds that she was here for a short time, would never visit this particular shop again and really did not want anything else.  Apparently standing her ground and demanding change worked. Perhaps tellers can tell the difference and save a few coins for such customers instead of treating them to the universal shrug. Even a small sweet is at least 5 cents and the only place which regularly offers Rand coins is Tudely Butchery in Avondale.  Well done to them.
I expected real change from transformed Honeydew Farm – now an upmarket Fruit and Veg City – Food Lover’s Market. After months of refurbishment and huge container trucks arriving weekly,  doors opened last week and we have been waiting with interest to see what’s taken so long. The exterior is virtually unchanged and the thatched roof retains the familiar frontage.  But inside . . . wow! It’s a completely different space. What was once a huge barn like building with quarry tiled floors and rustic pine storage bins has become a state of the art temperature controlled environment, with light modern tiles and banks of coolers and refrigerators.
As I arrived late afternoon the power went off, but was on again within minutes as giant generators glided silently into action.  The veggies are spritzed every few minutes with an automatic mister to keep them dewy and fresh and the climate is cool enough for staff to need sweaters.
I have lived in the same neighbourhood as Honeydew for years and have watched it grow from a small farm stall tacked on to the owner’s house to a multi complex retail outlet. For the last decade its been in decline – a shadow of its former self with once flourishing fields overgrown by weeds and only a trickle of customers buying onions, tomatoes and greens.
The original owners have taken over the management in partnership with Fruit and Veg City and the carpark is once more overflowing, the nursery and restaurant have reopened and I am delighted to have the opportunity for treat shopping available in my area. 
Checked it out at the weekend to see what options there were for something delicious and easy to produce at home for less than restaurant prices.
The in-house butchery offers Matabeleland beef and we opted for the vacuum packed porterhouse (US$6,20) for two big steaks. We grilled it simply so as to sample the true flavour and were more than satisfied.
The deli section is still small but offers some smoked meats (I tried the Italian style prosciutto) and a selection of cheese. I hope they increase the range. With an in-house bakery, and ready roasted chickens, it should be possible to pick up a full meal for four for under US$20.
No desserts – other than some cakes and muffins – but there is a juice and fruit salad bar offering mixed fruit salad and smoothies.
Sunday morning opening was a boon and convenient to pop down for home made beef sausages – very meaty and pronounced delicious by family visiting for Sunday lunch.
Change yes – but still no small change. Rand coins dried up after the first couple of days and I now have a Fruit and Veg City credit note to add to the pile in my purse!
– g.jeke@yahoo.com