Gillooly’s Farm gets a glow-up, and Coco & J are curating the menu

Gillooly’s Farm has been a Gauteng picnic-blanket staple for generations. Now one of the province’s best-known green spaces is getting a second act, and a very familiar couple is helping to plate it up.

Gillooly’s Farm in Bedfordview is being restored and reimagined as Gillooly’s Gardens and will be closed until November for renovations.

According to a statement from the team behind the project, the aim is a “safer, more welcoming” destination built around nature, food, family, community and live culture. Coco & J (Joao “J-Something” and Cordelia “Coco” da Fonseca), the husband-and-wife duo behind one of South Africa’s best-loved lifestyle brands, will curate the food offering.

A table for everyone

A rendering of what will now be known as Gather at Gillooly’s Gardens. Picture: Supplied, Gillooly’s Garden

The centrepiece is Gather, a family restaurant that Coco & J will curate along with the food at the Good Stuff Market. The couple will essentially shape the food, hospitality and overall experience of both.

For J’Something, best known as the lead vocalist of the award-winning band Mi Casa, it’s a natural extension of a career that now includes chef, television personality and restaurateur. Coco, a content creator and entrepreneur, works alongside him to build experiences around culture, cooking, family and everyday moments.

“We want to create a space that brings people together. A space that celebrates good food, good people, community and connection. A space that feels like home,” the couple said in the statement. The team behind the project further clarified that their involvement “is not an endorsement” and should rather be viewed as an extension of how they already live and create.

More than a restaurant

A rendering of what will now be known as Good Stuff Market at Gillooly’s Gardens. Picture: Supplied, Gillooly’s Garden

Gathering is only part of the picture. The wider plan brings together the gardens and walking trails, family-friendly activities, community events and the amphitheatre. A series of live shows is also planned for later this year, so you’ll soon be able to catch music and performance in the middle of the greenery. Dates, artists and ticketing will be announced separately.

The organisers are keen to stress that this is not an events venue with a garden bolted on. They describe it as a botanical garden and “lifestyle ecosystem” in which food, markets and recreation support the park’s character rather than replace it.

A landmark with history

Gillooly’s Farm gets a glow-up. A rendering of what will now be known as Gillooly’s Gardens. Picture: Supplied, Gillooly’s Garden

Gillooly’s has been part of the area’s story for more than 80 years. The 44-hectare property was originally owned by James Gillooly and sold to the city council in 1944, when it was named in his honour. Generations of visitors know it for its lake, walking trails, birdlife, picnic areas and open lawns.

The project is rooted in a long-term commitment to adopt, maintain and protect the space as a safe and welcoming public park, supported by more than 25 years of combined experience in hospitality and live experiences, with a portfolio that includes Artistry, The Palace Bar Company (Katy’s Palace and Sir James Van Der Merwe Bar), The Ivy, Obscura and The Ostrich in Cape Town.