Addo's White House and goat farm

Businessman Roger Beadon woke up one day and decided to move to the country. He now runs Addo's White House, a guest lodge and goat farm, and produces goats' cheese, soap, and chilli sauce, amongst other things.

Story by Deni Archer

A businessman scales down to the country

It takes a brave spirit to give up a senior position in a company and head off to the country to be a goat farmer. Roger, originally from Zambia, was running a casino company and living the jet setting life that comes with it. One day he woke up with a realisation: it wasn’t making him happy. “I was missing out on my family life. So I packed it all in and bought a guest lodge and some goats,” Roger says.

Roger now spends his time welcoming guests to the farm near Addo, Eastern Cape, and lovingly tending his 60 Taboggens goats. “I love these goats. They’re like my pets. I love their curious nature,” he smiles, “especially the little gang that always breaks out of the paddock. They’re rebels!” Roger raises his goats using organic principles. He uses medicinal herbs to treat them - chicory and sage are both wonderful natural dewormers, he tells us.

From making deals to making cheese, soap, furniture, etc etc

Roger currently milks only twenty of them, turning the milk into gouda, feta, maaskaas, haloumi and cream cheese in his cheesery, which is equipped with beautiful antique cheese-making equipment. Some of the cheese is sold locally and some at the Guys of Design deli in Port Elizabeth.

He also makes goats’ milk soap, and when not engaged in all things goat, he tends his nursery of yellowwood saplings, makes furniture and helps his son with his own foodie hobbies, like beekeeping and selling eggs.  

Does Roger miss anything about his former high flying lifestyle? “Not at all,” he says, “I haven’t travelled in two years, and I love it.”

The goat farmers.

The Taboggens goats are fed medicinal herbs like chicory and sage to keep them healthy.

Roger makes a variety of cheese from the goats' milk. He uses traditional cheese making equipment to craft these.

Some goats' cream cheese. Delicious spread on freshly baked bread.

Roger also uses the goats' milk to make anti allergenic soap.

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