Despite the devastating fire that recently destroyed the restaurant and food shop at Milly’s, a popular roadside stop on the N4 outside Machadodorp in Mpumalanga, you can still enjoy their speciality of smoked trout pie and salad.
The family-run business has expanded its coffee shop menu in the Country Trout Stall, which was untouched by the fire, as was the Express eatery and petrol station. Customers continue to stream in, with the smoke-blackened ruins having become something of a curiosity. Many visitors stopped to snap photos of what was their favourite thatched restaurant beside a dam.
Milly Cilliers and her family suspect the blaze was caused by a spark flying from the tall chimney into the thatched roof and being fanned by a strong wind. A family member said they’re waiting for insurance assessors to complete their inspection and hope to rebuild soon.
See Getaway‘s Roadside Rendezvous feature on Milly’s in the July 2011 issue, which went to print before the fire.
