When devastating floods swept through parts of the Western Cape in May, the damage they left behind was swift and indiscriminate. Among those counting the cost was Van Loveren, one of South Africa’s most loved family-run wine farms and a longstanding supplier to Food Lover’s Market. Infrastructure was damaged, parts of the property were flooded and thousands of bottles were left covered in mud – scuffed, stained and weathered by everything the storm had carried with it.

But in the middle of the devastation, something distinctly South African unfolded. The Van Loveren team, family and surrounding community came together and began rescuing what they could – bottle by bottle, crate by crate, working through the mud to save the stock that had survived.

From the farm, through the storm

Those rescued bottles now have a new purpose. Food Lover’s Market has partnered with Van Loveren to bring the surviving stock into selected stores under the name Bottles of Hope – a range of flood wines available at 3 for R100, while stocks last. The bottles are not sold separately.

Crucially, Food Lover’s Market is not making any money from the campaign. All proceeds go directly back to Van Loveren to support the farm’s recovery.

The bottles carry visible marks of the storm – stains, scuffs and muddy labels – and that, says Food Lover’s Market, is entirely the point.

Rooted in relationship, not retail

Brian Robberts, senior buyer at Food Lover’s Market, says the decision to step in was driven by the retailer’s relationship with the farm rather than any commercial consideration.

“Van Loveren is not just a supplier to us,” says Robberts. “They are a family, a farming community and a South African brand that people know and love. When we received the call asking whether Food Lover’s Market would help make these bottles available to customers, we knew immediately that this was something we had to do.”

Robberts acknowledges that the bottles are unusual by any retail standard. In an industry where perfect labels and pristine packaging are the norm, these bottles arrived exactly as the flood had left them.

“In retail, we are usually focused on perfect labels, clean packaging and pristine presentation. This was different. In this case, the marks are the meaning. The mud, the scuffs and the imperfections are not flaws in the story. They are the story,” he says.

Buying a piece of the story

Food Lover’s Market is transparent about the nature of what is on offer. The bottles are being positioned not as a conventional wine promotion, but as something with greater meaning.

“These bottles are not being positioned as a normal wine promotion,” says Robberts. “Given what they have been through, we cannot guarantee that every bottle will be perfect from a drinking point of view. What customers are buying is something bigger than that. They are buying a piece of the story, a symbol of resilience and a way to stand with Van Loveren as they recover.”

Customers are invited to take the bottles home, display them, gift them, place them on a table, or keep them as a reminder of what hope looks like after a storm.

“Every bottle taken home is one more customer choosing to be part of Van Loveren’s recovery,” Robberts adds. “It is a simple gesture, but it carries a lot of heart. It says, ‘We see what happened. We care. And we are standing with you.’”

Standing with South African producers

For Food Lover’s Market, the collaboration speaks directly to its long-standing commitment to supporting the people behind the products on its shelves – among them farmers, producers, growers and family businesses across South Africa.

ALSO READ: South African wine grape harvest outlook improves for 2026

The bottles will be available in dedicated in-store displays at participating Food Lover’s Market stores, presented in a way that keeps the story visible. Customers will find them as they are: marked by the flood, but carrying a message of hope.

Bottles of Hope are available at participating Food Lover’s Market stores at 3 for R100, while stocks last. Not sold separately.