About Four & Twenty

“Sing a Song of Sixpence,
a pocket full of rye,
Four and Twenty Blackbirds
baked in a pie….”

 

A well-known and much-loved nursery rhyme, but our story began in 2012 in Paris.

Once upon a Time…

 

Owner and chef Tracy-Leigh earned her stripes at Silwood Kitchen Cordon Bleu Cookery School. After three years and a Grande Diploma in hand, Tracy was invited to join the small team of lecturers at Silwood Kitchen where she taught Practical Professional Cookery in the 1st year student programme.

This was where I learnt my most valuable life lessons. The job taught me patience, empathy, to be bold, and to be myself.

Tracy embarked on a gastronomic journey of a lifetime through France with her dear friend and co-founder Marijke Duminy. Twenty-four years old (at the time), both girls dreamt of taking the Parisian love of food and respect of ingredients back to Cape Town. Their dream was realised when they brought a tiny slice of this magic pie to Chelsea Village Wynberg, opening on the twenty-fourth of April 2013.

Tracy-Leigh Genricks - Owner Chef (right)
Marijke Duminy - Co-founder (left)

 

Four & Twenty Today…

Having firmly established Four & Twenty as a local favourite, Tracy-Leigh has taken full ownership of the café and continues to grow it to its greatest potential.

We respect and appreciate how deeply food can evoke emotions. Good food awakens a feeling in a person and for this reason there is no compromise when it comes to consistency, quality and service at Four & Twenty.

I absolutely adore my café and my dearest team of staff who surround me every single day.

Every morning when I walk into my café, my heart immediately warms and I am instantly happy to be there.

I walk around and I am excited to see what has sold off the pantry shelves so I can restock before the day starts.

I feel grateful that I am able to create a space with all of my favourite things combined, and each day I am excited to share it. Witnessing even a flicker of similar excitement in someone else is what makes this job magical.

What Inspires
Four & Twenty

Everything we do is grounded in a desire to pay respect to the authenticity of technique, as well as to innovate and create, using flavours, textures, colours, and aromas.

Ingredients are always and only chosen when they are at their best and in season.

Changing the menu and watching how our guests respond to these changes are one of my escapes from the daily grind of running a restaurant. I find intense joy in South African wines – acknowledgement of old favourites and discovering new ‘kids on the block’ is nothing but pure pleasure for me.

I am overjoyed to produce a product that is traditional but unconventional, and create an environment that fosters the adoration of good food and the people who appreciate it. I love the food industry because of the personal and professional fulfilment it brings, and feel honoured to play a part in the development and appreciation of what I believe to be the most exciting field in the world.”

Tracy-Leigh Genricks - Owner Chef