A taste for life

Tucked away in a forest of pine trees is a place called Valley Bakery. It started off as a small bakery and with hard work, Royleen Solms, her daughter Kim Hofmeyr and daughter-in-law Lauren Solms turned the bakery into a success story.
Kim’s artwork decorates the walls of the coffee shop; her floral acrylic  paintings overflow with life and energy. “I’ve always painted. I have taken part in Art in the Park in Pietermaritzburg every year for the past seven years.”

She loves painting flowers and doesn’t even use a reference for her paintings. “I just paint whatever comes to mind. I’ve been told that I’m not a very realistic painter, and probably a romantic painter since every flower is blossoming.”
Kim grew up in the central berg and after completing school, she set off to experience life as a student at Stellenbosch University. She did Human Movement studies and after completing her degree, she wasn’t quite sure why she had chosen that particular field. She wanted to study Art, but thought that she already knew how to paint.
While studying, she was actively involved in sport and found the social side of student life intriguing. She worked part-time as an interior decorator for some spare cash and made sure to enrol in all the art classes on offer.
A month before graduating, she met Simon who would later become her husband. The young couple decided to experience something new, so they set off to work in England. “We were so lucky to both get jobs in a bank on the trading floor. It was a wonderful experience!”

When they returned to South Africa, she wanted to move to the Cape where Simon comes from, but her dad convinced her to stay just for one year, in the hope that the romance would die by itself. But Simon was determined not to lose Kim.
He moved to the Berg, determined to make things work. Without having any farming background, he sold the extra flour that the mill produced for the bakery and soon he bought some sheep. And now he has gone into business with Kim’s father, but that doesn’t mean he gave up on his sheep.
Kim, on the other hand, helped her mother who had a small bakery and supplied to the hotels in the area. As time went by, Lauren joined the family and the bakery grew, just like their family. “I remember we worked from daybreak until sunset every day with no breaks for three years straight. My son and Lauren’s son would come with us to the bakery. They would still be sleepy when we arrived. We would give them breakfast here and supper, they would fall asleep and we would carefully take them home. We literally raised our children here for three years.”  Although the bakery has the most delicious breads and cakes, when Kim is at home, she doesn’t bake a lot. “Having three children aged seven, five and three, we never measure anything. Everyone has their own bowl and ingredients, and somehow it always works out in the end.”

She thinks the secret of a happy family is spending time with them. “In the morning before school, I spend a few minutes sitting with each child chatting to them and just setting their day.”
She can’t see herself living anywhere else. “I’m completely content here. My children are happy and they get to spend so much time with their family.”
Now that things have evened out a bit, they have the opportunity to go on holidays. “We love the sea. We also enjoy hiking in the Berg or spending days at the dam. And when there is serious shopping to be done, we head off to Gateway.”
She shops at The Space, YDE and Woolies. “Woolies is so convenient. You can find something gorgeous to wear, something tasty to eat and something for your house in one go. I love it!” She is a very social person and enjoys entertaining. “My dad comes from a big family. This Christmas time, we will have 84 family members over. We are just like that, always entertaining and always social.” Kim’s dream for the future is for Valley Bakery to grow and, in doing so, offer its employees a better future.

If you are not sure how to get to Valley Bakery, here is a map:

https://bit.ly/1epQDzB