Sage Contact Details

Telephone Number : 032 525 8059

Click here to go to their site : www.sagecafe.co.za

Opened a few months ago, Sage brings both good food and a relaxing atmosphere together effortlessly and Rory and the kitchen offer a generous range of options on the menu that ensure you’ll be able to find a meal to satisfy you whether you’re coming along for breakfast, lunch or an early supper.

Impressed after visiting Sage a little while back with the family we were privileged to sit down with Ash, co owner of Sage, and speak about Sage, how it came about and what it means to them owning one of the hottest places for families to hang out.

The idea to have a quaint, small coffee shop as a place where moms and the kids could come along and take a break from the daily grind was Ash and Janine’s idea and passion. The idea started to gain momentum around a year ago, and after speaking to Cara from Hybrid Living, the idea became a reality. The opportunity quickly grew bigger than just a small coffee shop as Hybrid Living was looking for a restaurant to compliment the recently upgraded complex and nursery and cater to a growing family market on the north coast. Janine and Ash realized that Sage was going to be more than just the small coffee shop they thought of, and they needed someone with a track record in the restaurant business. The right person was already part of the family, Rory was Janine’s husband and had a wealth of experience in the restaurant industry.

Today Rory and Ash are partners in running and managing the business, and with Rory’s experience and Ash’s passion and commitment to good food, it seems like the perfect partnership has formed. Rory and Ash have always had a keen interest and passion for food. As family friends they would regularly sit and discuss different types of meals, or when eating out would show interest in what other restaurants were trying to do differently with their food and service.

Unlike Rory, Ash’s background isn’t in the food industry, and her and her husband Paul moved to Ballito from Zimbabwe five years ago. Ash still owns a preschool in Zimbabwe and traded in teaching to join Rory in the restaurant business. In chatting to both Rory and Ash it’s clear that they both share an amazing passion for finding a way to create an all round experience for families, with a great meal at the very centre of it.

 When asking the team how and why it works, the answer is somewhat like their approach to cooking and their menu. There is a blend of skill, passion and commitment that come together in different styles and quantities to make the Sage experience exceptional. Rory and Ash mix their skill in the kitchen with their desire to make every meal look as good as it tastes and are open to new ideas and new ways of trying things. It’s this ability to work together and focus on each other’s skills brought to the table that appear to be making Sage the success it is.

Ash is aware that while Sage has a great appeal to families, she also knows that it’s the woman diners that have an eye for detail and who will notice the extra special effort the whole Sage team put in, and so it’s the attention to detail that the whole team at Sage work on to make sure they get it right, every time someone sits down to a meal, or even just a cup of coffee. They know this dedication to style and quality will be appreciated, and make their customers want to come back.

Sage is now a part of the Hybrid Living complex and it was in Cara’s vision to have a venue that offers a range of fresh, unique experiences for all its visitors, both regulars and tourists, that has made it all work. Hybrid Living and Sage aren’t in the centre of busy Ballito, and they don’t have large billboards pointing out their location, so it seems that they’ve become the exception to the norm when it comes to business and the advice about location. As a nursery, Hybrid Living has the perfect location just outside of Ballito, but as an overall complex that appeals to everyone it’s been able to make itself a successful location all by itself.  And its not just the locals that support Sage. On an afternoon visit to Sage Shaun Pollock and his friends and family were seen having a relaxing afternoon meal at Sage.

SAGE ONLY USES FRESH PRODUCE THAT ARE DELIVERED DAILY, there is nothing out of a can and the food has to be wholesome and healthy and top quality. Ash explains their menu as Mediterranean, they type of foods served have lots of coriander, avo, chill, lime and mix that together with the meal. Mediterranean is the best combination of flavours that come together that make a meal appetizing and Ash describes her menu and the type of food they make as “a fresh summer day”, that’s how she explains their dishes. When you sit down with a dish it’s fresh and gives a good feeling, and that’s how you get the Med feeling, it’s associated with that same feeling you get. The comparison is great, and I believe that Ash and Rory understand that Sage is more than just food or a place to eat, its about the fact that we’re all looking for experiences everyday and being able to assimilate eating to the feel good experience of a great summer day in the Mediterranean is as good as you going to get when looking for a place to eat.

Since opening the feedback they’ve got about the menu and dishes they serve has been great and when asked if they are open to suggestions on the menu, there is a genuine positive reply, but oddly enough there haven’t been any so far. This must mean that us all of us in Ballito agree they got the blend of the dishes right, and the eating experience along with the venue is exactly what we’ve been looking for. Ash also mentions that when they put a dish together, they look for the absolute best blend of flavours and tastes, using all that is available to them and there isn’t more than can be added to their already delightful meals. You don’t walk out of Sage feeling like you’ve overdone it, and that you need to roll out the restaurant. Rather, the meals leave you satisfied, feeling good and fresh and conscious that you’ve had a healthy meal, well except for the pastries, which are imported directly from Belgium, which are totally delicious!

Just like the food, Sage and the other stores blend and complement each other, and again it appeals to the visual appeal. The setting appeals to everyone, and the different areas don’t come across disjointed but rather complimentary of each other.

Having coffee at Sage makes you aware that you’re away from the hustle and bustle and that you’re sitting in a piece of paradise on the north coast. They are so proud of having achieved everything they set their minds to.

Sage appeals to parents; it gives them the option to relax. Both Ash and Rory have young families, and are both food lovers. You have to sacrifice your own meal as an adult to find a place where the family can eat out together. The basis was Style, Quality and Children and its hit the mark. Sage offers you a quality meal while there is a place for the kids to be themselves. The jungle gym is large, and offers a great distraction for the kids.

Sage also offers a range of parties, from kids parties to evenings for the adults. They also do Friday night dinners, with bookings, and it looks amazing at night with the lights and relaxed environment. You hear all the natural noises, from crickets and frogs, and have the ability to enjoy yourself.

Sage believes their success so far has been delivering a quality service and product, which has resulted in the spread of word of mouth. They have 150 people a day on weekends, and during the week they easily see 35 people for breakfast alone. Their staff are an integral part of the business, and Rory and Ash make sure they invest in good people who share the passion for the restaurant and delivering great service.

YOU CAN ALSO GET PAMPERED AT SAGE, by having a manicure or pedicure. The service comes in well within budget, and while you get pampered for an hour and a half you can get served a meal, or just a refreshing drink. With a privacy screen, you feel truly secluded in getting pampered in the luxury of Sage and Hybrid Living. It’s even a great place for husbands and wife’s to get spoilt together. Whether you come for a meal or a treatment, Sage’s playground staff will watch the kids for you, and some of the staff have even completed a paramedic course.

The need in the market is for families, especially mothers and their children, but the great thing about Sage is that when you arrive you get treated as an adult while you children entertain themselves.  The Sage experience seems to be all about pampering yourself, whether it’s relaxing to some treatment of just using the facilities at hand to find a moment to be yourself. The prices are reasonable when you consider the exceptional quality meal you get, and Rory and Ash want to make sure you get a meal that is on par with the best nationally and it’s their intention to have Sage remain affordable and refreshing while continuing to innovate and evolve in order to keep its customers interested and keen to return.

HOW DO WE KEEP IT FRESH? Ash talks about how they appreciate the success they’ve had, and are grateful to be supported but also know that they need to maintain the recipe. They need to keep it interesting and are continuing to evolve and innovate. They want the interest to stay, and people to wonder about what’s happening at Sage each week. Interestingly Sage isn’t looking to change the menu frequently, but they want to be innovative in how they offer the people of Ballito the option to be social. With future braai afternoon’s and Friday night dinners, Sage understands that the family needs a place to come along and where children can be children while parents get a chance to be adults.

Pure, another provider in the complex, offers organic produce and Sage produce their organic bread. Over time Sage will also offer more organic products in the restaurant. Janine, Rory’s wife, has extended the salon concept and runs Shine at Sage, which is a complete pampering experience. Fruit and vegetables grown at Hybrid Living are used in the restaurant. This mutual dependency on each other is another reason everyone involved is successful. With a vested interest in those around you, the residents at Hybrid Living exemplify the community spirit of Ballito, and it’s clear that with this mind set they share the heart of the community, which means they can only be even more successful.

Sage is fresh and offers us a new alternative to the traditional places to visit. It’s able to be many things to many people...successfully which is commended considering how hard that is to do. Whether you’re on holiday in Ballito or a local, Sage is an experience you must try, and we’re sure you’ll find yourself heading back again and again.

Well done to the team at Sage.