Self-catering in Knysna is much easier if you do the first shop before you unpack. You do not need a huge grocery run. For a two-night weekend, breakfast supplies, one easy supper, proper coffee and a few simple extras are usually enough.
Your best route depends on where you are coming from. Guests arriving from George, Sedgefield or Cape Town will come into Knysna before heading out towards The Heads, so a town shop is fairly straightforward. Guests coming from Plettenberg Bay will pass the George Rex Drive turn-off before reaching the main shopping area. Decide before you arrive whether you want to turn straight towards the lagoon or carry on into town first.
Here are a few useful stops for a winter weekend.
Food Lover’s Market
Food Lover’s Market is the proper shop. Come here for fruit, vegetables, fish, bakery items, sushi, snacks, breakfast supplies and the everyday basics you do not want to hunt for after you have unpacked.
It is a practical stop, especially if you are travelling with children or staying for more than one night. Buy eggs, yoghurt, bread rolls, pasta, soup ingredients, fresh fish, fruit, coffee, rusks, biscuits and something easy for the first evening.
For a two-night winter weekend, two breakfasts, one simple lunch, one supper to cook and one backup meal is usually enough.
SUPERSPAR in the Knysna Mall area
SPAR is also worth keeping in mind if you want a straightforward grocery stop. Parking is often easier than at some of the busier central shops. The Knysna Mall area is useful for milk, cereal, bread, snacks, drinks, toiletries and anything left off the packing list.
Our chalets and villas are prepared for self-catering. Washing-up liquid, dishcloths, toilet paper, bin bags and arrival tea and coffee are supplied as standard. For your own shop, focus on the things you prefer to choose yourself: breakfast supplies, snacks, drinks, children’s favourites and anything specific you like to have on hand.
This is a good option when you want to get in and out without turning the shop into an outing. In very busy periods, parking can still take patience. On an ordinary winter weekend, though, it can be one of the easier ways to stock up.
Woolworths, Checkers and Pick n Pay
The everyday supermarkets are sometimes the most useful part of a self-catering weekend. Woolworths, Checkers and Pick n Pay cover the things everyone needs once they arrive.
Think milk, tea, nappies, medicine, toothpaste, cereal, yoghurt, fruit, children’s snacks, coffee, pasta, salad and something plain for a child who suddenly does not want anything else. Washing-up liquid, dishcloths, toilet paper, bin bags and arrival tea and coffee are supplied in all our chalets and villas. Your shop can focus on food, personal items and the brands your family prefers.
Do this part first if you are doing a full shop. The bakery, butcher and deli stops are more enjoyable once the basics are sorted.
East End KwikSpar
For guests staying at The Milkwood Collection, East End KwikSpar is a useful one to know. It is not where you would do the whole weekend shop, but it is handy for the things you only remember after you have unpacked.
Milk, bread, ice, firelighters, cooldrinks, snacks, toothpaste, coffee, a packet of pasta, something for breakfast. If you have already turned towards The Heads, this is much easier than going all the way back into town for one or two items.
It is especially useful for guests arriving from the Plettenberg Bay side. You reach the George Rex Drive turn-off before town, so if you only need a few necessities, this may be enough for the first night.
Greeff’s Butchery
Greeff’s is worth knowing if you are planning a braai (BBQ), a roast, or a proper cook-at-home supper. It is an old-school local butchery on Waterfront Drive, close to several other useful food stops.
This is the place for boerewors, chops, steak, mince, chicken, biltong or something to cook slowly on a cold evening. It is not a full grocery shop, but it is a good stop if you would rather buy meat from a butcher than from a supermarket counter.
Go earlier in the day if you want a specific cut, especially over busy weekends.
34 South at the Waterfront
34 South is the stop for an easy first supper. Most people know it as a restaurant at the Waterfront, but the shop inside is the part self-catering guests should remember.
There is a deli, bakery, wine shop, ready-made food and enough small treats to make the first night feel sorted. Pick up bread, cheese, olives, dips, smoked salmon, pickled fish, a salad, something warm-and-serve and a bottle of wine. Add something sweet if it has been a long drive.
This is a good stop if you are already in town and want the first evening to feel generous without having to cook properly.
The German Shop
The German Shop, on Waterfront Drive, is worth adding if you enjoy imported European food. It stocks German, Dutch, Austrian and Italian specialities, along with a broader selection of goods from Europe.
This is not a full grocery stop, but it can add something different to a winter lunch or easy supper back at the chalet. Think mustards, pickles, biscuits, sweets, condiments, baking items, kitchen bits and the sort of treats you may not find in an ordinary supermarket.
île de païn
île de païn on Thesen Island is worth a stop for bread and pastries. It is not where you do the weekend shop, but a good loaf makes self-catering feel less like supermarket cooking.
Buy bread for the next morning, pastries if you are there early enough, or something to take back for later. Good bread, butter, eggs and coffee can carry a slow winter breakfast very well.
They are usually open Tuesday to Saturday, with retail and food to go during the day, but check current times before making a special trip. Go earlier rather than later if you have your heart set on something specific.
Oak Leaf Deli in Belvidere
Oak Leaf Deli is a little out of the way, even if you are coming from the western side of Knysna, so it is better treated as a planned detour than an arrival-day essential.
Still, it is lovely if you enjoy a slower shop. Come for coffee beans, honey, olive oil, preserves, artisanal bread, kombucha and local deli goods. It is the sort of place to visit on a Saturday morning, or if you are already exploring Belvidere, rather than when everyone is tired and hungry in the car.
It is not the place for the whole grocery basket. It is the place for the nicer extras.
What to buy for a winter weekend
For a short winter stay, keep it simple.
Breakfast can be eggs, bread, yoghurt, fruit, rusks and coffee. Lunch can be soup, cheese, cold meats, salad or leftovers. For supper, choose one meal you feel like cooking properly and one that only needs heating or assembling.
Fresh fish, pasta, soup, curry, roast chicken, a ready-made lasagne, or something for the braai all work well for a winter weekend. All our chalets and villas have proper self-catering kitchens with a stove, oven and microwave, though the chalet kitchens are naturally more compact than the villa kitchens.
Add hot chocolate, biscuits, marshmallows, wine and something sweet for after dinner.
Nobody ever regrets having pudding in the cupboard on a rainy night.
Prefer to arrive with the fridge already stocked?
Guests staying at The Milkwood Collection are welcome to pre-order groceries from Woolworths or Pick n Pay before arrival. Our team will gladly receive the delivery and place the items in your villa or chalet before check-in.
This is especially useful for late arrivals, families travelling with children, or anyone who would rather arrive with the basics already waiting.
For top-ups during your stay, Woolies Dash and Checkers Sixty60 can also be very useful, especially if you want to avoid another trip into town for a few extra items. Delivery availability depends on the app, the store and the time of day, so check your unit address in the app before placing an order.
Order from Woolworths or Pick n Pay using the links on our website, and please arrange delivery in advance.
Order from Woolworths | Order from Pick n Pay
Back to the lagoon
The best part of shopping well is not having to think about it again.
Arrive, unpack, make tea, put something easy in the oven, open the wine if it is that sort of evening. The next morning can start slowly, with coffee, bread, eggs and a look at the lagoon before anyone decides what the day is doing.
That is the beauty of self-catering. You are not tied to a breakfast time or a dinner booking. You can go out when you want to, stay in when you do not, and keep the weekend simple.
Our kitchens are well equipped for proper self-catering, so a simple meal at home does not need to feel like making do. Once you are back beside the lagoon, the best part of the evening is not having to go anywhere else.