Beautiful hand-crafted pottery and special mementos that will appeal to both domestic and international tourists line the shelves of a special shop at the Graskop Gorge Lift Co.
Re-Freshed @ the Gorge is owned by three partners Sharon Paterson – a potter, designer, stained glass artist and weaver; her daughter Tracy Joubert – an interior designer; and family friend Leon Kruger, who will be managing the business.
It features Sharon’s work and that of the men and women she has trained and mentored. The interior of the shop was designed by Tracy and built by Leon.
Sharon is the owner of Ponieskrantz Arts and Crafts, situated in the historic mining town of Pilgrim’s Rest, just a short drive from Graskop Gorge. The work on sale at Re-Freshed @ the Gorge comes from both the Ponieskrantz Studio and Sharon’s studio in Ballito on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
The shop is a treasure trove of unique pottery and weaving. Also on offer is a selection of goods with true South Africa flavour, including coffee and coffee products from nearby Sabie Valley Coffee, local beef and game biltong and tins of sweets and nuts sourced from Cape Town.
Most of the craftspeople responsible for the stock at Refreshed @ the Gorge – five women and two men – have been working with Sharon for years, either at Ponieskrantz or Refreshed Design. Their exquisite work includes ceramics, beading, weaving, stained glass and jewellery.
Sharon is no stranger to Graskop Gorge Lift Co. She was commissioned to do a huge stained glass window depicting a forest scene when the development opened. The delightful result enjoys pride of place along the experiential forest trail at the bottom of the gorge.
Empowering people is one of Sharon’s passions and she has spent two decades uplifting the people of Pilgrim’s and, more recently, Ballito, by teaching them various skills.
