Karoo rooster brood icon Tannie Poppie makes a comeback

At her usual stall, with the unmistakable aroma of bread baking over an open fire, Rosaline van As, better known as Tannie Poppie, said her business is still suffering from losses during the Covid-19 pandemic, quiet off-seasons and municipal fees, but the booming festive season has brought a measure of revival, breathing new life into her trade.

She has been baking and selling rooster brood for at least 17 years. She began her roadside baking business in Laingsburg in 2009 to provide an income for her family. Even at the age of 69, her wrinkled fingers and tired face continue with the hard work.

In January 2026, Aunty Poppie told Daily Maverick: “Thanks to the festive season, and the many visitors and tourists stopping again for their favourite rooster brood, I’ve been given much-needed hope.

“It was exactly what I needed. The business isn’t back to 100% yet, but I take courage. In the past, I used about 10kg of flour a day; now I’m [back up to] around 5kg daily, thanks to the holiday time.”

Talking to Tannie Poppie at her stall wasn’t easy. Every conversation was interrupted by a visitor, happy to see her, eager to chat, and genuinely glad that she was back on the road.

Everyone, regardless of colour, creed or race, who stops by her leaves with a story they will tell for years.

One striking comment that captured the deep respect and admiration visitors have for Tannie Poppie came from Maria Botha, who was travelling from Cape Town to Bloemfontein.

Stepping out of her vehicle and making her way to Tannie Poppie’s stall, she smiled and said, “I’m glad you’re back. Is my breakfast ready? I can’t drive past this stall. This is the best breakfast for me. Now I’m ready for the road.”

Visitor Nellie Solomons from Belhar described Tannie Poppie as a breath of fresh air, adding that her rooster brood was simply delicious.

Watching Tannie Poppie knead the dough, her hands moving with quiet confidence, is part of the magic at the stall. Each rooster brood is delicately cut from the dough, shaped by hand with practised care.

Residents told Daily Maverick it was remarkable to see how Tannie Poppie had quietly crept into the hearts of so many people who genuinely appreciate what she does.

Beating the odds

Tannie Poppie has been down and out, but never downtrodden. Each time she fell to the ground, she pulled herself together and rose again.

Covid-19 left her cash-strapped and struggling to bounce back. Unable to pay rent, her home-based catering business collapsed after the electricity was cut off.

The year before the Covid lockdowns began, she travelled to Italy in 2019, giving Italians a taste of the enduring flavour of her beloved rooster brood. A chance encounter with an Italian cyclist led to a crowdfunding campaign that took her to Italy, where she prepared her famous rooster brood for an international audience at the Eroica cycling event.

Commenting on Italians using her recipe, she said it would not be the same because it would lack her unique way of kneading the dough and her baking technique.

Read more: How crowdfunding captured the hearts and wallets of South Africans

The high of visiting Italy quickly faded into the lows of the Covid-19 period, where stalls such as hers were closed, with tourism taking a serious dent for years to come.

In November 2024, declining sales left her unable to cover R17,000 in municipal fees. This resulted in the municipality terminating her rental contract for the roadside storage of her baking equipment, and she closed temporarily. She still owes the fees.

“I can’t afford to pay it, but the municipality stopped the arrears at that amount and allowed me to continue baking in Laingsburg,” she said.

She said 2025 had been particularly tough and that it was only through the grace of God that she survived and was still standing.

“The peak season is during the festive period, when I can make more than R600 a day. But during the off season, it’s rare that I make even R200 a day. From that, I still have to buy flour for the next day and put something on the table.

“I live hand to mouth, content with very little, and grateful that I can wake up every morning to live another day.”

Her permanent home is in Touws River, near Worcester in the Western Cape. To earn her keep in Laingsburg, she lives in the backyard of a friend who opened his door, offering her a place to stay while she tries to make ends meet.

She also struggles with serious health problems, including a heart condition and high blood pressure.

“I’m aware it is not easy, but I’m not going to give up. I take it day by day and am grateful for the support from visitors, especially during the festive season and school holidays,” she said.

Reminiscing about the late Piet Geldenhuys, the man who opened the door for her, brought a wide smile to her face as tears welled up in her eyes.

Geldenhuys was a bar owner, and Aunty Poppie worked there as a cleaner. But deep inside, she dreamed of opening her own bakery. Cash-strapped, she began baking rooster brood.

“I still remember how he stood in the doorway watching me bake rooster brood,” she recalled.

Laingsburg Tourism

The local tourism office viewed Tannie Poppie’s contribution as a boost to both her business and Laingsburg’s profile as a tourist stop. Laingsburg Tourism has actively promoted her stall as a key local attraction, using her story and image in social media campaigns to encourage visitors to shop locally.

In August 2025, CapeNature, through its groundbreaking podcast series Green Noise, which honours women in tourism, highlighted her contribution.

Julia Louw, head of leisure tourism at Wesgro, underlined that women were the beating heart of tourism in the Western Cape.

“Just having somebody that wouldn’t necessarily be on your newsfeed or your Instagram reels is somebody like Aunty Poppie. The idea was to take these locals and suddenly put them on to people’s reels and their Instagram feeds, and then we go up the West Coast, speaking the local language of the San people and the heritage and the culture,” she said.

To ensure that the family recipe and the tradition of making rooster brood by hand and from scratch are passed down through generations, Tannie Poppie has taught the craft to her daughter, Naomi Etson. DM