Oregano at Giles
There’s a relatively recent addition to the wide option of Craighall Park eateries around Liz at Lancaster Guesthouse. Giles, an institution in Craighall Park, used to be family owned by the Gillies family until it was sold to a consortium in 2018 and rebranded as Founders at Giles. But to meet for an after-work catchup, a TGIF drink or to watch sport, this watering hole is still known as Giles. In September last year the wonderful little restaurant and bakery, Oregano, previously based in Linden, struck a deal with Giles and opened their restaurant in the airy enclosed northern deck of Giles. It’s a win-win for everybody as Oregano serves breakfasts and lunches from a kitchen they share with Giles: So the day time for Oregano and the evenings for Giles.
Delicious salads, toasted ciabattas and wraps as well as fab offerings for brunch
The food at Oregano is excellent which is to be expected as Sharon Van Tonder and her daughter Lauren are no strangers to really good home cooked food and wonderful baked cakes, biscuits and breads.
History of Oregano
You can read about Sharon in her daughter Lauren’s blog post. Sharon is clearly a do-er and a coper who, after her husband died tragically, moved from running their 450-seater restaurant, The Silver Birch at LifeStyle Nursery, to a brief spell at a restaurant in Illovo and then two decades of running a successful catering company from her home. By this time Lauren and her sister were both working for the company. Lauren had always wanted to start a patisserie, so she started small, selling at markets. And, when the demand grew, they decided in late 2014 to open a shop: Oregano Patisserie and Pastry in Linden.
Lauren’s speciality: sour dough bread
As it happens Lauren’s real passion is sour dough bread. I can vouch for its yummy deliciousness – I had it when I ate at Oregano recently.
When asked what her morning routine is, Lauren answered:
Switch on the oven, get my pans hot and start with sourdough. They’re the first ones baked because they’ve been rising overnight. Then on to getting all my doughs prepped, rising, scaling, proofing, baking. I start and end everyday with dough.
So treat yourself to a brunch or lunch. It’s worth it. 7 Grafton Ave Craighall Park 083 260 6582
And more on the healing powers of sourdough bread in an upcoming blog.