Our byline is –
It’s not just a meal, it’s an experience!
‘Dining Done Different’ in ‘Unique Venues’
But its evolved to ‘Lifestyle Done Different’
but still in ‘Unique Venues’!
Oh, and the Dining is still ‘Done Different’
Currently, at Maweni Farm near Harrismith (OFS) we now offer an ‘OLD FASHIONED FARM STAY EXPERIENCE’ in the most stunning surrounds and –
if you can coax us into it, apart from all the other activities on offer,
we may just be able to rustle up some of those Long Lazy Lunches (with new menus’)
Coupled with our beautiful surroundings, it’s the ideal way to catch up with old friends or just have a good party. So find a good spot, open a bottle of wine with a mate, gaze out into the distance and let your mind wander free
It’s where an afternoon feels like a weekend.
Needless to say it’s also ideal for those special occasions as well as corporate functions, team builds and conferences.
After many years in Restaurants, travel and tourism, a certain philosophy about life has emerged and here is the story of how we got to this point! (and it seems the journey is not finished yet!)
OUR HISTORY
 The Young Jeanie |
 Getting Larney! |
Rumor has it that Bill and Jeanie Budd, along with Myles [Bill’s late brother] owned a farm. They needed a place to sell their veggies, so they had the idea of opening a restaurant in Durban and so Legends Late Nite Café was born on the 15th April 1981. The first year saw Jeanie working in the restaurant at night, Varsity by day and typing out menus in between. Sleep was not an option! We finally pulled her in full time and the team expanded to include Peter Pentz, Kevin King and Maarten De Gidts
Legends was the first late night restaurant in Durban and was hectically busy, as it was the cool place to hang out and be seen. It grew from strength to strength and Bill bought a Porsche while sleeping on a mattress on the floor! With the intrepid team of Myles Budd, Peter Pentz, Kevin King and Maarten De Gidts, we went on the expansion trail. Those were the crazy days! Legends then opened on the beachfront in the Old Parade Hotel and the success story continued with the opening of branches in Pietermarizburg, Rosebank, Johannesburg and the Playhouse.
Bill and Jeanie who were always visiting new places and expressed their love for travel by opening “The Great Escape Travel Co.” with Peter Pentz, next door to Legends, Musgrave!
To cut a long story short, Beachfront closed down due to sale of the building, Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg were sold and the Playhouse split from the original Legends fold.
Oh yes! I forgot about Gringo’s Cantina, which was simply the only tequila-swilling cactus bashing, bean guzzling cantina this side of Mexico, where people danced on tables, drank tequila and behaved ‘loco’.
Then there was the short lived BAT café at the BAT Arts and Cultural Centre in the harbor, a showcase for local culture and simply the best place to view the spectacular Durban Skyline.
Then in 2002, Tourism KwaZuluNatal approached Bill to open a Lifestyle store with restaurant, travel and merchandise to showcase the best of KZN. Thus Legends became Zulu legends, but after a year the merchandise was a non starter and the area was going into decline.
Legends was sold in November 2003 and Bill, enjoying a sabbatical, started ‘The Prawn Shack’ next to the Amatikulu Prawn farm, and only opened on Sundays. This wonderful lifestyle lasted for 2 years, until Mike and Ben bought the old ‘Captains Cabin’ on an auction in October 2005 and coaxed Bill out of retirement whilst retiring themselves!
Buds on the Bay, originally intended as a place for mates to hang out and where you could relax on the deck, drink, tell tall stories and plan adventures, grew and grew with long lazy lunches becoming the style. The somewhat eclectic menu reflected our many travels and “the Black Ball Nites” for mates on Tuesdays remained faithful to the philosophy of ‘talking sh..t and then doing it’. These madcap adventures now form part of the “Roadside Cuisine” series. After 11 crazy years, Buds closed in February 2016 when its non renewable lease came to an end
‘Roadside Cuisine – a Journey through Africa and beyond, fusing cultures and cuisines’ was a concept born of our many travels and motorbike trips where by far the most fun, and best memories, were had eating street food whilst mixing with the locals and just absorbing the atmosphere.
So, in this tradition we are making a few tweaks to our menu’s to celebrate ‘local is lekker’ Shisanyama to Asian, Mexican and Mocambiqecan cuisines, among others, but what the heck – ‘fusion rules’!
Meanwhile, the Prawn Shack has just kept on trucking, becoming mildly famous along the way, and after 15 years situated on Tribal Trust land with no security of tenure, we have finally moved 15km up the road to the beautifully forested surrounds of Mtunzini.
In fact, the business model is so good it has given rise to the ‘Shak Restaurants’ concept, specializing in ‘Unique Venues’ and ‘Dining Done Different’ and as a result there is also the Marula Shak in Ponta Malongane, S. Mozambique, to fit in with the ‘Shak’ ethos
Then 2020 rolled in and with the COVID debacle, everything had to close (coupled with a near fatal motorbike accident!) but we weren’t idle and 1st there was the Shuga Shak in Eshowe in 2021, and then an abortive animal farm project. Say no more.
But life moves on, somewhat painfully and slowly at times, until you find a bit of paradise and just the medicine you need to recuperate.
And so the Maweni Farm ‘Old Fashioned Farm Stay Experience’ was born!
Watch this Space!