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About Us

Bonheur Employees inserting rusk dough into the pan to make rusks

Rusks cooling on a rack after being baked

Bonheur Rusks is a family-owned bakery, nestled between the Kogelberg Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean in the little seaside village of Betty’s Bay.

In the early 1900 ’s, Debora Pretorius baked rusks in her Free State farm kitchen for the enjoyment of her family. The first rusks in the early days of the Cape settlement were made with hops (also used to brew beer) and it was this special Hops Sourdough Rusk recipe that Debora later passed on to her five daughters who continued the tradition.

In the course of 2001, her daughter Kleintjie van Wyk saw the opportunity to use this recipe to start her own business. With the help and support of her husband and family, she established the bakery on their farm Bonheur in the Breede River valley. Bonheur means ‘happiness’ in French and Kleintjie decided that this would be an apt name for her rusks: Bonheur (Happiness) Rusks.

In 2015 the van Wyk family and Bonheur Bakery moved to their new home in Betty’s Bay. Bonheur Bakery employs 18 loyal staff – some of whom have been with the bakery for 20 years. The bakery is FSA certified to ensure the food safety for their customers, as well as their employees.

The range of products has grown to include a variety of rusks, all handmade in small batches. Our vision remains constant – to produce high quality, healthy, homemade rusks for all to enjoy whilst providing excellent service.