Kate Bosazza ~ the lady behind Chintsa’s Tea in the Trees
As a young girl growing up in Bournemouth, England, the idea of a future in Africa was, understandably, something very far from Kate Bosazza’s mind. For the past several years however, Kate’s life has been very much in Africa, a good example of how the best laid plans can change in an instant.
It wasn’t until Kate moved to Brighton where she had been teaching for four years, that the idea of visiting this beautiful continent came to mind. The day that a friend said to her “let’s go to Africa” was the start of an incredible journey for Kate – one that she is still travelling on. Despite having plans to explore the African continent extensively, it was perhaps her destiny to end up in our fair province. On the day Kate bought her sleeping bag for her big trip, she met somebody who had just returned from South Africa, and she was told that if there’s one place she needed to visit in South Africa … it was Chintsa!
Following the wise traveller’s suggestion, Kate came to South Africa and moreover, to Chintsa, where she stayed at Buccaneers Backpackers. It was there that she met her now husband Simon, whose parents were living in the 
area. A brief romance ensued before Kate took off once again on further travels to Zanzibar, where she completed a diving course and explored the country.
News of a Buccaneers reunion brought Kate back to Chintsa, this time to stay a while as, not only was she offered a job but her relationship with Simon was clearly blossoming. Kate returned to England where she started teaching again and Simon visited her over there, staying for a few years.
At the age of 29, hearing news that Panorama Farm in Chintsa was up for sale, Kate and Simon took one enormous step and bought it … and Kate’s life in South Africa and Chintsa really began.
Having spent many years on her grandmother’s farm in England, farm-life wasn’t a complete unknown for Kate, however, having never owned her own farm, things seemed a little alien for her at first and she says that for the first three years, she felt very lost. Fortunately for her (and for the Chintsa community!), Kate finally settled happily into life on the farm and in South Africa.
Kate’s initial idea behind ‘Tea in the Trees’ was to have an outlet where people could go to buy the fresh veggies that she was growing on their farm. The ‘farm store’ then grew into a venue where other members of the community also sold their 
produce and eventually one which became an outlet for all types of artists, crafters and locals, selling everything from handmade jewellery and cheese to paintings and pottery.
As time passed and business flourished at the market, it naturally progressed to the sale of prepared food and Kate began to run, and love running, the kitchen, serving up delicious food to traders and customers alike. Today, Tea in the Trees is well-known for its mouth-watering homemade delights, from cakes to lemonade, as well as a full menu offering a variety of meals for breakfast, brunch and lunch.
With such a beautiful piece of land, the opportunities were endless and Kate and Simon decided to create a forest walk, appealing to both young and old. The enchanting Forest Theatre with it’s unique style and location came next, and has rightly earned its place on the map for staging a diverse range of shows from School productions to concerts performed by renowned musicians. As well as hosting their own regular events, the Forest Theatre can also be rented out for general venue hire and, given its absolutely stunning setting, there is no shortage of people wanting to tie the knot there!
One of the projects that Kate is currently working on is ‘Take a Child to the Theatre’. When there is a production being staged at the Forest Theatre, the public are given the opportunity to purchase extra tickets which 
are then given to children from the local rural and village schools, enabling youngsters to attend who would never ordinarily have the opportunity, to experience the thrill of going to a live show … and lets face it … where lovelier than a show staged at the one-of-a-kind Forest Theatre?
Always ready and willing to get involved in the community of Chintsa in some way, Kate shared that in November or December, a new Parkrun will be launched, the Chintsa Parkrun. This 5km route will wind its way all around Panorama Farm, through coastal forest and farmland and sounds absolutely lovely. To coincide with the Parkrun, Kate will be organising a food market for Saturday mornings only, a place where people can visit and browse the stalls of local and fresh produce.
The community of Chintsa is vibrant and is growing, and Kate Bosazza plays an important part in it. Having become involved in Friends of Chintsa a few years ago, she gives her time and skills as often as possible, always coming up with new ideas for community projects.
Kate is embracing a new chapter in her life, one which she is very excited about. Although new projects are on the horizon, Kate is still very passionate about her ventures that have been running for a while, including the Friday night Tapas and Tunes events (an evening of food and song – if you are musician, get involved!) and the Sunday morning markets.
Tea in the Trees really is a unique and beautiful Chintsa landmark and Kate has worked doggedly to achieve the good name it has today. A jewel in Chintsa Bay, we look forward to seeing the fruits of Kate’s labour grow from strength to strength.
| More info on the town of East London | More info on the Sunshine Coast |
Related Articles
Book your accommodation right here on ShowMe.
You can find the top hotels, lodges and Airbnb establishments conveniently placed on the map below. All you need to do is click on the place that’s conveniently located and within your budget and then make a booking. What could be easier?
If the map is not where you want to be, click on the ShowMe Pin and then enter the exact name of the location and the map will adjust accordingly.
