Category Archives: La Rochelle News

Organic Africa has demonstrated consistent commitment to the La Rochelle Centre, not only by maintaining the lease agreement in full compliance with the terms set out by the NTZ, but also by continuing to invest strategically and operationally into the site. La Rochelle is a hub for sustainable agriculture, ecological regeneration, and community-based learning.

They are taking the opportunity to restore, demonstrate, and disseminate sustainable land use in Zimbabwe and their agricultural operations are aligned with regenerative principles, and strong collaboration with key stakeholders.

Three fields are actively under stinging nettle cultivation, ensuring continuity of production and income.

Stinging nettle ready to harvest with cattle in the background as part of the soil regeneration approach

The remaining fields are currently under regeneration to rebuild soil health following years of intensive cropping. High-density rotational grazing with cattle is being implemented. Supported by electric fencing, this practice enhances nutrient cycling and strengthens soil microbiology.

The pack shed is operational, processing herbs from current fields and supporting quality assurance systems. Organic Africa have begun producing biochar which will play a key role in their regenerative plan. The biochar is intended for compost enrichment and field application, increasing carbon sequestration and soil fertility

We have some very exciting news to share with you! You can now travel to La Rochelle much faster and easier with a ‘fly in and switch off and soak it all up’ brand new service that has just been launched and available with Air Zimbabwe. The perfect escape where luxury meets tranquility! For bookings please contact: 08688 007 303 and +263 714 610803
Reservations: reservations@larochellecountryhouse.net

The extensive grounds and landscapes of La Rochelle are looking magnificent. The ground staff have been working tirelessly to keep them in such a great condition especially for your delight, the array of colours is glorious.

A new fresh, contemporary style conference/breakaway space has been created.

The floor of the dining room has been renovated and looking super smart.

You can reconnect with nature and rejuvenate your mind and body on the scenic hiking trails that were recently added to.

The beauty spa is using locally produced organic products for all the treatments. We look forward to welcoming you very soon.

The National Trust of Zimbabwe (NTZ) is very pleased to announce its latest publication:

La Rochelle

Visitors 1954-1970

After arriving in Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) in the early 1950s, British couple Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia Courtauld decided to make it their home. Fabulously wealthy and with diverse artistic and humanitarian interests, the Courtaulds built a striking home and gardens which they called La Rochelle. They bequeathed the property to the NTZ in 1970.

At La Rochelle the Courtaulds hosted an extraordinary range of visitors from all over the world and from many walks of life. Visitors were invited to sign their names with a diamond stylus on several glass window panels, and the hundreds of inscribed signatures have intrigued more recent visitors to La Rochelle.

Over the past seven years three volunteers have documented 898 signatures, aiming to learn a little about each individual – not an easy task given the problems of deciphering the signatures and the passage of time. The resulting publication provides a fascinating glimpse of signatories ranging from African nationalist activists, political figures from various parties, prominent musicians, dancers, actors and artists, historians, British aristocracy, local residents and more.

The project was initiated by a former guest and friend of the Courtaulds (and well known local botanist) Darrel Plowes and an Australian visitor to La Rochelle, Heather White. As Darrel’s health limited his involvement, his companion Nina Bauer, took on the research with Heather. The memories of local residents, along with extensive internet searching, have allowed the compilation of brief notes about many of the Courtaulds’ visitors, with web links and/or verified sources.

While much has been discovered, some intriguing gaps remain, and it is hoped the readers of the publication may be able to add a few more pieces to this picture of Rhodesian/Zimbabwean social history.

To order your copy now please click on our Publications tab, happy reading!

The NTZ (the Trust) would like to congratulate Organic Africa, in conjunction with La Rochelle Centre, on the recent official opening of their organic herbal tea factory at La Rochelle which is a Trust site in Penhalonga (the Shona word Panoronga meaning “the place that shines) situated in the Imbeza valley.

Mr D.Collenburg  of Organic Africa watching, Mr D.Karoro Hon. Deputy Minister of Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement cutting the green ribbon of the opening of the tea factory

On their way to the tea factory representatives from the Trusts Executive Council stopped to admire the bright orange Calendula flowers at one of the trial herb plots.

Left to right: Mrs Fira Bache NTZ, Mr Kevin Martin Organic Africa, Mr D.Karoro Hon. Deputy Minister of Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement and Ms Gill Honeyman (NTZ Chair of Worlds View).  Mr G Cary (NTZ Chair of the Nyanga Museum) also attended

At the tea factory guests were welcomed and given a tour of the facility which began at the drying area where the tea leaves are delivered after picking. The dried leaves are then processed by brand new, state of the art leaf processing equipment imported from Serbia.

Leaf processing equipment

The processing machine is fast and efficient: the leaves are threshed and then partly separated from the stems. The leaves are fed into the vibration separator where they are sieved by vibrating screens and separated based on their size.

The equipment has environmental ‘green’ advantages as it uses left over unwanted exotic timber, from managed plantations in the area, to provide the energy source. Any particulate dust from the procedure is collected and re-used in the process.

The finished premium tea leaves are packaged in bulk, certified organic and exported. They are blended by clients in Europe where there is a high demand for herbal teas and a percentage is kept for the local market.

La Rochelle Organics Herbal Tea

Delegates joined together for a celebratory photograph.

Left to right:Mr D.Collenburg Organic Africa, Mrs S Waterworth NTZ, Mr U.Volz German Ambassador, Mr D.Karoro Hon. Deputy Minister of Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, Mr N.Jager Swiss Ambassador, Mr I.Craig ARDA Board Chairman,   Mrs B. Mtetwa International Trade Foreign Ministry, Mr Machocho  The National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Department of Research and Specialist Services within the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation  Development

Guests were then taken into the packing area and treated to a tea tasting event where they could sample some of the delicious herbal teas made at La Rochelle including rosella, a species of hibiscus, and Melissa, a member of the mint family, also known as lemon balm.  Afterwards everyone took a seat and warmly welcomed by Domink Collenburg Organic Africa CEO opening speech followed by speeches from Mr Volz, the German Ambassdor, Mr Jaeger the Swiss Ambassador and Mr Douglas Karoro the Hon. Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement.  All the speakers agreed that the commissioning of the tea factory offered so much for the county and they all welcomed the innovative project and gave it their support.  The project provides an opportunity for over 5,000 small-scale organic out growers and wild collectors not only to contribute to the Zimbabwean economy but also uplift themselves and their communities in the process.

The successful project was achieved through a Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) that acted as a mechanism to use the Trusts resources (the property) and investment and expertise of the private sector to manage it. The private partnership is with La Rochelle Centre (Pvt) Ltd who refurbished La Rochelle hotel to a high standard and Organic Africa who is making good use of an area of the estate grounds to build infrastructure and establish new services: growing herbal teas, to bring in finance: a new solution to an old problem. Organic plants are a much higher value crop than the traditional crops being grown in Zimbabwe.

The event was covered by ZBCTV and featured in various local newspapers including:

Biggest herbal tea factory commissioned

Mega herbal tea plant launched in Penhalonga

https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/germany-and-switzerland-endorse-zimbabwe-as-an-investment-destination-of-choice/

After the speeches guests were served an excellent lunch on the west verandah of La Rochelle overlooking the manicured formal gardens and arbour with the magnificent mountains providing a majestic  backdrop on the horizon.  The hotel is a link to the past: full of history and stories and an oasis of tranquility and charm.  A few of the guests then went for an afternoon stroll around the Dell and woodland.  The grounds are looking particularly beautiful at this time of year with many orchids, aloes and succulents in flower and a stunning collection of colourful Azaleas in full bloom nestled in-between old, magnificent looking trees.  Then it was back to the hotel for afternoon tea.

The arbour, a popular wedding venue

The lake in the dell

Azaleas in the dell                               

Contact the La Rochelle Centre

You can contact the La Rochelle Centre for any queries or bookings:

• +263 (242) 885 065 and +263 714 610803 or
• Email Reservations: reservations@larochellecentre.com

As part of its on-going 60^th Anniversary celebrations 3 National Trust representatives, namely Gill Honeyman, Guy Cary and Lin Goncalves attended a wonderful, and exceptionally well organised event held at La Rochelle Country House on Saturday 31^ST October 2020.The documentary film, presented by Robbie Honey (see previous post), was projected on the tower wall on Friday evening, the 30^th, with an almost full moon hanging in the clear sky behind the tower and a clear star-lit sky graced the evening.

Harvey and Debbie Leared have most certainly revived La Rochelle and breathed new life into every part of the property. We had a long and interesting walk around the botanical gardens and they are in pristine condition – lawns and pathways are manicured and immaculate and the old waterway is once again running through the gardens down to the dam, attracting birds and butterflies along the way.

The lovely wooden bench – tribute to The Curtain Foundation, Nick Roditi, Simon Goldberg (and others)  is well situated in a quiet and pretty spot overlooking one of the ponds. The Trust is humbled by the measure of generosity shown by Mr. Roditi to enable the NTZ to restore the orchid houses and the gardens, all of which are looking really beautiful and well tended by the long-standing senior member of the gardening staff, Nicholas and his team. There is also a memorial bench in appreciation of the work done by  Daryl Plowes for the NTZ.

Before the luncheon on Saturday the 31^st, the invited guests were treated to a delightful programme in the formal lounge, of well-loved oldies spanning the past 6 decades, by the Phoenix Choir of Harare, whose voices belted out such favourites as “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend”, “Fly me to the Moon”,  “Mr Sandman”, “Annie’s Song” and “Fiddler on the Roof” – to name a few, in the lounge, tastefully furnished and with blooming orchids to grace the tables.

The Phoenix Choir who entertained the guests before lunch

It is an amazing coincidence that, after a couple of botanical scares in the shade-house, the rare and beautiful Vanda lombokensis orchid named after Lady Virginia, IS BLOOMING for only the 3^rd time in 60 years, right now….a fitting tribute to the philanthropist couple who collected the orchids and exotic plants which all still thrive in the gardens at La Rochelle today!

                                                                                                    Vanda lombokensis orchid

Nina Bauer’s many years of hard work and dedication was acknowledged on the occasion too, in the form of two, laminated and bound volumes of the glass signature panels with the biographies of MOST of the signatories. An enormous thank you to Nina and to Heather White, now in Australia, for their many hours, days, weeks, and now YEARS of work to get these volumes done in time for the 60^th Anniversary of the Trust.  Nina Bauer inspecting her hard work in the 2 volumes of signatures off the glass window panels

Pre-lunch drinks served overlooking the gardens – fresh iced herbal teas, wines and sparkling wine,

with delicious snacks

Harvey Leared welcomed all the guests to La Rochelle and spoke of the National Trust and the developments over the past five years, which have been quite remarkable considering the ‘challenges’ one faces!

The luncheon beneath the trees in the gardens in the front of the house was a splendid menu with chicken liver pate followed by a sumptuous buffet with roast rolled beef, baked ham, pickled bream and a selection of tantalizing fresh salads and rolls, and baby potatoes in their jackets, with lashings of butter and fresh herbs from the kitchen garden

One can only imagine a content couple looking down on the event, perhaps from the tower window, and saying to one another how happy they were to see such a fitting tribute to their legacy being played out on the lawns below, under a rich cobalt blue and cloudless sky, in the gardens they both so lovingly engineered and nurtured.

Guy Cary, from the NTZ Nyanga Committee, who attended with Ms Gill Honeyman of World’s View, gave a great speech, likening the National Trust’s properties within Zimbabwe to a medieval crown, with it’s jewel-inlaid ermine and 3-pointed ‘crown’ of jewels, the most significant of which is the La Rochelle jewel in the crown of the NTZ!

Guy has been very familiar with the history of the National Trust and of the Eastern Districts area spanning a number of years and is a commendable speaker!  Guy spoke freely and easily of the history of La Rochelle and the generosity of the Courtaulds and of the eastern districts area in general. Being close to the Indian Ocean to the east, the area has a dynamic history dating back a few hundred years to the slave and gold and ivory traders plying the Indian Ocean up and down the east coast of Africa.

The gardens at this time of the year are looking superb, with many blooms to admire both in flower beds and on some of the trees.

A new succulent garden was officially opened to mark the occasion and a tree was planted to remember and commemorate the life of the late Gordon Addams who passed away very suddenly recently. Gordon was a long standing member of the Eastern Districts community having managed some of the top small hotels in the region for a number of years and lately, ‘Gordon’s’ in Mutare, until his death.

After lunch, the water-colour painting by Margi Grobelaar, which Margi had donated to the Trust some time ago, was auctioned with Des Becker ably filling the post of last-minute appointee of the position of auctioneer. Bidding was brisk with a more-than-expected and very generous winning bid from Gill Honeyman – a huge thanks to Gill!!!

Guided walks were arranged of the botanical gardens and orchid houses and also to the herb trials and the drying and packing shed.

On Sunday at lunchtime guests were treated to another, informal concert before lunch.

It is hoped that La Rochelle and the National Trust of Zimbabwe, will continue to welcome guests from near and far – and grow to develop the existing ties with INTO and INTO (Africa).

One of the many views one has of the tower from the front gardens

Compiled by Lin Goncalves

The Trust is thrilled to share with you a video entitled: ‘La Rochelle: Robbie Honey’ that enjoyed its premier screening at the recent Trust’s 60^th birthday celebrations held at La Rochelle where it was projected against the French style tower with a full moon behind.

Robbie, Floral Designer, Lecturer and Author of ‘The Accidental Botanist: The Structure of Plants Revealed’, passionately shares his botanical knowledge about the abundant flora growing in the grounds of La Rochelle.  He also explains the history of the estate and reveals some interesting old black and white photographs of the Courtauld’s taken in the UK and in Zimbabwe. The video shows magnificent sweeping aerial views of the house and estate made possible by drone footage.

The video opens with Robbie sitting on the sunny veranda of the house, now a boutique hotel, talking about the history of Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia Courtauld who generously donated their estate to the Trust in 1972.   Robbie then walks around the formal lounge, courtyard and Lady Virginia’s private ‘Fantasy Room. He then invites you to take part in a delightful, guided journey around the 226 acre estate which was established with the professional help of the UK Horticulturist John Henry Mitchell, with exotic plants and trees gathered from all over the world.  Co-incidentally, Robbie is friendly with Henrietta Courtauld and Bridget Elsworthy who visited Zimbabwe in 2014 and redesigned the gardens.

As you will discover the estate has an exceptional botanical area and Dell that covers 20 acres of land both contain many fine specimens of exotic and indigenous species. Robbie’s tour includes the unique Orchid biome that is home to a large and diverse collection of exotic orchids that Sir Stephen collected from around the world including the Lady Virginia Orchid: the only in the world.

After the orchid collection Robbie moves on and chats to Kevin Martin who runs the commercial organic farming area consisting of 25 acres of trial beds of herbs being grown for teas including various mints, lemon balm and grass and thyme and petals such as sunflower and calendula and recently planted super grain foods like chia and quinoa.

We do hope that you enjoy watching this wonderful production by Media Matrix Productions, very kindly sponsored by Mr H. Leared for which the Trust is extremely grateful.

https:/vimeo.com/468854262

Mike Garden, of Softrite, recently visited La Rochelle Country House and we are pleased to share his feedback from his stay:

Hi All

Softrite still has quite a few loyal payroll customers in Manicaland so I drive down to Mutare from time to time to pay them a courtesy call to see if they need any enhancements to our software.

I always maintain that spring is the best time to be travelling anywhere in the Eastern Highlands: starting with Miombo woodlands covered with a dazzling array of ochre coloured Msasas in August; progressing to the verdant green-leafed deciduous trees in late September; then the lilac Jacarandas and cherry Flamboyants (non-indigenous / exotic) in October and November respectively.

La Rochelle Country House, situated in Penhalonga on the outskirts of Mutare is part of the National Trust of Zimbabwe and they are currently celebrating their 60^th anniversary. So I decided to stay at La Rochelle for a couple of nights last week to check it out. The crisp mountain air along with that “Far from the madding crowd” feeling makes it the perfect place to relax either over a long weekend or at the end of a busy day in Mutare. La Rochelle have, arguably, the best orchid displays and aloe garden in the region and I woke up early on day 2 for a guided tour with the very competent and knowledgeable Peter. The botanical gardens have trees, aloes, cactuses and many other succulents from all over the world – and Peter knew both the English and Latin name for just about everyone.

Relaxing with a cup of tea and scones on the afternoon of my arrival, I sat for a while on the long, frontal veranda and read my book – all the while glancing at the pristine rose garden with young buds urgent to come into seasonal bloom. I always throw my golf clubs in the boot of my car when I travel to Mutare as I know I can just pitch up a little before 3pm on Wednesday at the nearby Hillside golf club and join a few mates for 9 holes of golf. The golf club is just 10 minutes away from La Rochelle and the course is in such good nick at the moment – thanks to Kevin and Billy.

If you are looking for something to do with your Covid bored kids and are happy to take a couple of days off then I would recommend you book a couple of rooms at La Rochelle – lots of hiking trails and some of the best bird life in the country. Just a 3 hour trip from Harare on good tarred roads. Ciao Mike Garden.