Pretoria’s Best Delis, Bakeries & Cafés for a Perfect Packed Lunch

Written by: Hennie Fisher

Since most of us are away from home during office hours, it is not only our children who require packed lunches. We all know the nutritional and health benefits of home-cooked food and are only too aware of the dangers of eating overly processed foods. But if you are at the office, and that hangry animal attacks, it can be horrible so it is best to plan in advance. Rather, put some thought into it and find something you can keep in the deep freeze from Pretoria’s best Delis, Bakeries or Cafés for the perfect packed lunch.

Bread Gypsy

If you are planning to make homemade sandwiches for your lunch box, there is only one bread in the whole of Pretoria you want to buy - the seed loaf from The Bread Gypsy. They are at the Boeremark on Saturdays, but one can also pre-order. Those loaves can hang around the fridge for a good week or more, since the bread is even better toasted than fresh. It is the best thing ever with a thick slathering of butter, some Marmite and a dusting of Furikake. The Bread Gypsy sells a number of other items perfect for a packed lunch: chocolate croissants, vanilla cruffin and a charcoal bun that would make your kids (or colleagues) the envy of anyone peering into their lunch box.

Website: thebreadgypsy.co.za 

Elvis Brew

In South Africa, the Afrikaans name for a jaffle is a ‘knypkoek’ – of course, from the jaffle pan that pinches the bread into shape. Elvis Brew makes theirs with a branded logo toasted into the bread. What could be better for a packed lunch than a jaffle with mince and cheese.

Website: elvisbrew.co.za 

The Original Delicious

Rachel Botes and Louise de Beer continue to spoil us with some of the best foods in Pretoria. What could be better than packing a tray of six signature milk tart-filled pancakes for R150.00 – R180.00 for yourself and colleagues for a breakfast treat at the office? They also provide meals that could serve as both supper and a small container of leftovers for your computer-side lunch the next day. Think Greek moussaka made with layers of roasted brinjals, potatoes, tomato sauce, and shredded leg of lamb, cloves, cinnamon and other spices, topped with a Parmesan white sauce, or with autumn approaching, perhaps a superb Minestrone, made with potatoes, brinjals, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato, green beans, cannellini beans, onions, garlic, and tomato.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/original.delicious 

Joyn Coffee

If you need a sandwich that will show your kids (or anybody else) just how much love you can give, you need to impress them with an Ouma-style home-baked bread turned into a chicken mayo sandwich. Delicious, nostalgic and oh-so-filling.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/p/joyn_coffee

Culture Coffee

What could be better than a mince and cheese sandwich? At Culture Coffee, these are legendary, but of course, one could also stock up on freshly roasted coffee beans for a pick-me-up cuppa after work or the school run.

Website: culture-coffee.co.za 

Kings Meat Deli Castle Walk

Apart from some of the best biltong and dried sausage in the country, they also offer an array of cold meats, hams, salamis, cheeses, sauces and preserves. It already sounds like a picnic basket, but in fact, it has all the best ingredients one would need to make a packed lunch. There is, of course, a huge selection of fresh meats, and if you ever are in need of a duck or a rabbit, their Castle Walk branch even stocks those.

Website: kingsmeatdeli.co.za 

Samoosa & Spice

Samoosas, already in their own ‘packaging’, are ideal for packing and eating by hand, especially when travelling or as a delicious alternative in one's packed lunch. They make the usual potato, corn and cheese and others, and they are all delicious. Apart from the samoosas, there are some other Indian inspired items ideal for a packed lunch, and while you are at it, stock up on some rotis – they freeze exceptionally well.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GezinaGalleries/posts/samoosa-spice-is-now-open-at-gezina-galleries

Bakehouse

Bakehouse is almost like a smart convenience store – one can buy anything and everything - even a bunch of flowers - should your packed lunch suddenly turn into a picnic.

Website: bakehouse.online 

DVH Quality Meats and Deli

At DVH Quality Meats and Deli, you can shop to your heart's content for convenience foods. If you do not fancy anything from their frozen selection, they are happy to take special orders. They offer easy take-home foods, such as a wrap with a filling that would be suitable for a packed lunch. There are lots of other items, but also beautifully decorated “themed” biscuits for a special treat in a packed lunch box. Those remembering those delicious old-fashioned Devils on Horseback will be glad to hear that they have a version, called a Moot Mossel - there is nothing more delicious in a lunch box than a cold prune wrapped in crispy bacon.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/p/DVH-Quality-Meats

Maders

There are no better sausage rolls in the whole of Pretoria, perhaps even Gauteng, or dare we even say, the best sausage rolls in South Africa. They are meaty, they are without obvious artificial flavours, they are good value for money, they freeze exceptionally well, and they are large and could easily be cut in half to be added to a lunch box. There is always a line of people waiting to buy these delicious sausage rolls.

Phone: 083 285 8969

Planning ahead with high-quality, local ingredients ensures a healthy, home-cooked, and satisfying packed lunch, avoiding overly processed options. Key Pretoria options include specialised breads, artisan savouries, hearty heat-and-eat meals, premium deli meats, and convenient, freezer-friendly items.

For more information, explore the featured local Pretoria bakeries, delis, and cafes.