18 C
Cape Town
Thursday, December 12, 2024

Roosterkoek maestro Tannie Poppie out of dough

Published on

 

 

Tannie Poppie, the roosterkoek queen of Laingsburg has fallen on hard times. The 68-year-old is battling to make ends meet due to poor sales of her world-renowned breads.

 

 

Her delicacy once led her to travel abroad, when she jetted off to Italy. But now, Tannie Poppie – whose real name’s Rosaleen Van As – is falling behind on her municipal payments. The payments is for the use of the municipal facility where she kneads her dough, and prepares her breads.

 

Image by Lizell Persens

 

Smile 90.4 FM spoke to Van As’ daughter, Naomi Etson who shared that her mother’s bills are piling up and that she’s already behind by about R17 000.

 

 

A Backabuddy campaign has now been launched to help her raise R50 000 to get back on her feet.

 

 

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

 

 

“My mom’s business is down to the ground. Things do not look good, honestly. You can’t use 2,5 kg of flour and then still sit with all of that dough and bread at the end of the day. So how are you supposed to make an income?”

 

Tannie Poppie roosterkoek
Tannie Poppie and her daughter, Naomi Etson. Image by Lizell Persens

 

She says that in her mother’s prime, she used about 20 kg of flour daily. The roosterbrood queen of the Karoo is also battling with health-related challenges such as Alzheimer’s disease, high-blood pressure and other ailments.

 

READ MORE: Tannie Poppie brings her roosterkoek to Macassar

 

Etson, who is the youngest of six children, moved to Macassar in 2022. Upon her arrival, she opened up her very own roosterkoek stand, because she wants her mother’s legacy to live on.

 

Image by Lizell Persens

 

“I don’t have many clients at the moment but I trust and believe that things will go back to the way they once were. My dream is to open a roosterkoek palace one day. I want my mother’s legacy to live on. She has sacrificed far too much for us as children.”

 

 

The family is pleading with members of the public to donate money, in order to help Van As rebuild her business.

 

 

“If people can help us, just to get that debt from my mom’s name, that’s all I want,” concluded Etson.

Lizell Persens
Lizell Persens
Lizell is a Cape Town-based news anchor, reporter and transcriptionist. She has been a journalist for the past 10 years, and started her career as a TV producer. The avid reader enjoys writing poems, fast cars, music, travelling, and exploring new food.

Latest articles

Police divers find body of missing teen at Clanwilliam Dam

    Police divers have recovered the body of a missing teenager who reportedly drowned at the Clanwilliam dam on Tuesday. According to the National Sea...

MyCiTi bus driver suspended and charged after multi-vehicle crash

    A MyCiTi bus driver has been suspended and charged with reckless and negligent driver, following a multi-vehicle crash on the N2 highway on Sunday....

National GBV helpline unreachable during 16 Days of Activism

  As the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign unfolds, a crucial support service for survivors is facing a major setback.   The 24/7...