Lana has been part of the www.tolbos.co.za family for just on a year now and it has been an absolute pleasure to have a cool level-headed person to rely on. There is no drama, but a self-assuredness that drives this lady. She is deceptively young-looking and when you spy her buzzing to Tolbos on her zippy scooter in her funky outfit, you would never dream that she is well into her 30’s!

Lana earned the nickname of ‘Pixie’ while still at boarding school in Pietermaritzburg in Kwazulu Natal – the story goes that her very short hairstyle emphasized her ‘Elfin’-like ears and, at Voortrekker Hoerskool, the cute likeness stuck. It would also seem that this nickname influenced her demeanour and when she is not managing day-to-day going-on’s at #Tolbos, she adores all things related to nature. Lana loves the outdoors and anything to do with plants and sums up her favourite past-time as #exploring. A good workout may include a stiff mountain trail on her bike in the nearby hills and to relax, Pixie Fourie also enjoys being creative by working up a storm of crazy, abstract art on canvas.

Lana started off in the restaurant trade way back in high school – with a part time job as a waitress. The bug bit and she continued on at a popular wedding venue, where she was exposed to many aspects of the hospitality trade. At age 19 she went on to work at an eatery in the #Drakensberg – where Lana stayed on for 5 years, eventually working herself up to management. As a young 20-something, it seemed an obvious choice to head to the big city and Lana tried out the fast pace in #Centurion – but it was definitely not the life for this girl-of-nature. So she ended up in the Eastern Cape, when she was offered a position at a hotel in #Grahamstown. Yet again, this offered Lana a great opportunity to further educate herself in various aspects of the hospitality trade – such as reception, housekeeping, budgeting, restaurant management, etc. For 4 years she worked in the #Frontier_Country and then this Pixie decided it was time to spread her wings once more.

Not sure whether to take a boat trip or study something new, she ended up in #Patensie, where exciting things were happening at Tolbos; and things clicked into place for this free-spirit. Lana has quietly crept into the hearts of locals and tourists that visit the Gamtoos Valley. She has managed to bag herself a ‘younger’ farmer and it is not complicated, but serious – part of the reason she has lingered longer in the Valley!

At Tolbos, Lana involves herself diligently in all aspects of managing the restaurant – whether it is ordering stock for the kitchen or getting down and dirty with the dusting. But her favourite tasks include all things creative – such as menu-planning, restaurant décor, event-planning and interacting with the locals and tourists alike. She is very good with staff training and secretly LOVES TO BE IN THE KITCHEN. We love this girl’s work and appreciate her contribution to the smooth running of our home-from-home – Tolbos.

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