In 2005, my dad pulled me out of school for one of his “educational experiences”. This one, he claimed, would offer more than whatever the outcome-based education system had planned for the week anyways. We hit the road and headed north, stopping only once in Bloem to buy a roosterkoek and a CD my dad heard moments earlier on RSG. (That album would later become a family favourite and literally broke in half from excessive jamming. Have you ever heard of a CD breaking in half?) Our destination was NAMPO, the mother of all agricultural exhibitions and a farmer’s paradise. Fast forward 17 years, and I’m back at the Met Gala of the farming community. Picture even bigger tractors and shorter shorts than before. Only this time I'm here for the food. Alongside photographer and friend Daniela Zondagh, I ventured behind the scenes to uncover the culinary kings and queens manning the food stalls, tirelessly feeding the 80 000+ visitors. What we discovered was mind-blowing.
Photo 1: The NG Kerk Derby team have a custom-built pancake maker that churns out 10 000 pancakes. The top-seller? Cinnamon and sugar, of course. Oh, and did we mention they sell 15 000 cooldrinks too?
Photos 2-3: NG Kerk Vierfontein have been NAMPO regulars for as long as anyone can remember and, much like before, claim it's their last year, but we all know they'll be back. They bring something special to the table: Wagyu beef burgers. During the expo, they flip and serve about 4 000 of these. On the other side of the stall is the pap master Flora Maksatsa, stirring up four pots per day.
Photos 4-5: The Loskuil Plaasskool-team from Bothaville offer something healthier: a chicken salad, selling about 600 of these. But it can't be all about the greens… they also sell around 1.2 tons of slap chips.
Photos 6-7: The NG Kerk Meyerhof’s team have perfected their pancake production line over the years, cranking out 24 every two and a half minutes – over a thousand litres of batter.
Photos 8-9: Who doesn't love a good jaffle? The team from Klerkdorp Hervormde Kerk have been here the past 19 years and sell around 1 300 of these a day. On the other side of the table is tannie Tokkie, who takes on the noble duty of slicing the 7 500 vetkoeke.
Photo 10: 81 945 visitors, 823 exhibitors, 200 planes and 75 helicopters.
Photos: Daniela Zondagh
In 2005, my dad pulled me out of school for one of his “educational experiences”. This one, he claimed, would offer more than whatever the outcome-based education system had planned for the week anyways. We hit the road and headed north, stopping only once in Bloem to buy a roosterkoek and a CD my dad heard moments earlier on RSG. (That album would later become a family favourite and literally broke in half from excessive jamming. Have you ever heard of a CD breaking in half?) Our destination was NAMPO, the mother of all agricultural exhibitions and a farmer’s paradise. Fast forward 17 years, and I’m back at the Met Gala of the farming community. Picture even bigger tractors and shorter shorts than before. Only this time I'm here for the food. Alongside photographer and friend Daniela Zondagh, I ventured behind the scenes to uncover the culinary kings and queens manning the food stalls, tirelessly feeding the 80 000+ visitors. What we discovered was mind-blowing.
Photo 1: The NG Kerk Derby team have a custom-built pancake maker that churns out 10 000 pancakes. The top-seller? Cinnamon and sugar, of course. Oh, and did we mention they sell 15 000 cooldrinks too?
Photos 2-3: NG Kerk Vierfontein have been NAMPO regulars for as long as anyone can remember and, much like before, claim it's their last year, but we all know they'll be back. They bring something special to the table: Wagyu beef burgers. During the expo, they flip and serve about 4 000 of these. On the other side of the stall is the pap master Flora Maksatsa, stirring up four pots per day.
Photos 4-5: The Loskuil Plaasskool-team from Bothaville offer something healthier: a chicken salad, selling about 600 of these. But it can't be all about the greens… they also sell around 1.2 tons of slap chips.
Photos 6-7: The NG Kerk Meyerhof’s team have perfected their pancake production line over the years, cranking out 24 every two and a half minutes – over a thousand litres of batter.
Photos 8-9: Who doesn't love a good jaffle? The team from Klerkdorp Hervormde Kerk have been here the past 19 years and sell around 1 300 of these a day. On the other side of the table is tannie Tokkie, who takes on the noble duty of slicing the 7 500 vetkoeke.
Photo 10: 81 945 visitors, 823 exhibitors, 200 planes and 75 helicopters.
Photos: Daniela Zondagh
In 2005, my dad pulled me out of school for one of his “educational experiences”. This one, he claimed, would offer more than whatever the outcome-based education system had planned for the week anyways. We hit the road and headed north, stopping only once in Bloem to buy a roosterkoek and a CD my dad heard moments earlier on RSG. (That album would later become a family favourite and literally broke in half from excessive jamming. Have you ever heard of a CD breaking in half?) Our destination was NAMPO, the mother of all agricultural exhibitions and a farmer’s paradise. Fast forward 17 years, and I’m back at the Met Gala of the farming community. Picture even bigger tractors and shorter shorts than before. Only this time I'm here for the food. Alongside photographer and friend Daniela Zondagh, I ventured behind the scenes to uncover the culinary kings and queens manning the food stalls, tirelessly feeding the 80 000+ visitors. What we discovered was mind-blowing.
Photo 1: The NG Kerk Derby team have a custom-built pancake maker that churns out 10 000 pancakes. The top-seller? Cinnamon and sugar, of course. Oh, and did we mention they sell 15 000 cooldrinks too?
Photos 2-3: NG Kerk Vierfontein have been NAMPO regulars for as long as anyone can remember and, much like before, claim it's their last year, but we all know they'll be back. They bring something special to the table: Wagyu beef burgers. During the expo, they flip and serve about 4 000 of these. On the other side of the stall is the pap master Flora Maksatsa, stirring up four pots per day.
Photos 4-5: The Loskuil Plaasskool-team from Bothaville offer something healthier: a chicken salad, selling about 600 of these. But it can't be all about the greens… they also sell around 1.2 tons of slap chips.
Photos 6-7: The NG Kerk Meyerhof’s team have perfected their pancake production line over the years, cranking out 24 every two and a half minutes – over a thousand litres of batter.
Photos 8-9: Who doesn't love a good jaffle? The team from Klerkdorp Hervormde Kerk have been here the past 19 years and sell around 1 300 of these a day. On the other side of the table is tannie Tokkie, who takes on the noble duty of slicing the 7 500 vetkoeke.
Photo 10: 81 945 visitors, 823 exhibitors, 200 planes and 75 helicopters.
Photos: Daniela Zondagh
