Since 2011
Our Story
Klein Begin is the name of the farm where it all started — and, as it happens, Afrikaans for a small beginning. Both still fit.
A small beginning
Klein Begin was born in 2011, while I was living on a beautiful little farm of the same name, raising my two energetic boys. Like many farm gardens, ours was full of fresh vegetables and herbs — and before long the basil was thriving.
One weekend, hosting a braai for family and friends, I made a fresh basil pesto with herbs picked straight from the garden. It was an instant hit. Everyone loved it, and before long they were asking me to make more — and offering to buy jars for themselves. What started as a simple homemade recipe quickly grew into something much bigger.
As demand grew I began making larger batches and selling at local markets. Along the way I developed one of Klein Begin’s signature products: our very own Dippy Spread. Created from my own original recipe, it became a firm favourite and remains one of our best-loved products today.
More than a decade later, many of those first friends are still loyal customers, and the Klein Begin family keeps growing through word of mouth and a shared love of quality, homemade food.
Why small batch
Making a little at a time is slower and it is more work. It is also the only way to taste every batch as it is made, adjust it while there is still time, and start over when it is not right. A big run of something average is easy. A small run of something good is the point.
It also means what you open is close to when it was made, rather than something that has been sitting in a warehouse waiting to be bought.
How we buy
We buy seasonally and locally wherever we can. Herbs and produce come in at their best rather than to a fixed schedule, which is why some things appear for a few weeks and then disappear until next year. We would rather run out than make something out of season.
We also love celebrating the changing seasons. Depending on which fresh fruit and produce are available, we make small batches of seasonal jams, chutneys, sauces and other handcrafted treats. Every jar is made with care, using quality ingredients and traditional, small-batch methods that give it the authentic, homemade flavour our customers have come to love.
How we got here
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2011
The first jars
A farm garden full of basil, a braai for family and friends, and a bowl of fresh pesto that everyone wanted to take home.
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The years since
The range grows
Larger batches, local markets, and the arrival of Dippy Spread — an original recipe that is still one of our best-sellers. Pesto led to spreads, then chutneys, preserves and pickles.
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Today
Still small batch
Nine products, made by hand in batches small enough to taste as we go — still growing by word of mouth, from a herb garden on a small farm to kitchens and tables across the Western Cape.
Made with love