It was announced by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) yesterday that Durban has lost the rights to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022, it was reported in Business Day. Continue reading →
Tag Archives: Business Day
Visa Regulation amendments a victory for SA Tourism industry!
More than a year since the introduction of the first onerous Visa Regulations in June last year, an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced changes to the regulations, tremendous news for the Tourism industry.
The new improved revised Visa regulations: Continue reading →
International Monetary Fund downscales SA economic growth rate to 1,3% for 2016!
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has downscaled its forecast for our country’s economy for this year to only 1,4%, down from 2%.
The GDP is expected to only grow by 1,3% next year, forecasts the IMF, the slowest rate of growth since the last recession in 2009. China’s economic slowdown is largely to blame, with metal imports reducing due to that country’s ‘slump‘. Mining jobs are in Continue reading →
WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 3 July
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* London’s first underground farm Growing Underground has been created in a disused bunker from World War II, below the Northern Line at Clapham, reports The Daily Telegraph. The Farm will soon supply herbs to London restaurants, all grown without any impact on the environment.
* More capacity has been added to flights traveling to Cape Town in Continue reading →
New immigration regulations could affect Tourism and Film industries!
The new immigration regulations, introduced late last month, are not only a deterrent to immigrants to our country, but can also seriously affect the R5 billion film industry of Cape Town, reports the Cape Times. The new regulations differentiate between temporary visas and long-term residence permits, and new procedures have been introduced to change from one visa type to another, amidst uncertainty of exactly how the new regulations are to be implemented.Garreth Bloor, the new City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee member for Tourism, Events, and Marketing, has requested the Department of Home Affairs to review the regulations. He said to the Cape Times: ‘In the tough global economic environment, the country needs to remain competitive in as many sectors as possible‘. The change in the procedures could cost the local film industry R1 billion, and affect the employment of 600 workers in the film industry.
The biggest problem for the film industry is the implementation of the regulations in the case of filming delays. It is also not clear Continue reading →
JP Rossouw appointed as new Platter’s publisher!
Interesting news is that restaurant reviewer and writer JP Rossouw has been appointed as the publisher of the Diners Club Platter’s South African Wine Guide, taking over from Andrew McDowall, who is retiring.
Rossouw started his career in the advertising industry as a copywriter. He moved into restaurant reviewing, and has published the annual ‘Rossouw’s Restaurants’ guide for the past ten years, the Platter’s and Rossouw’s guides having many similarities in being judged on the basis of stars, and having a similar format. He wrote about wine for the Cape Times, about wine and food for House & Garden, about restaurants for Mail & Guardian, and currently writes about restaurants for Business Day.
Rossouw has been a judge for the Diners Club Winelist of the Year Continue reading →
Tony Leon charming beyond expectation at Buitenverwachting book launch lunch!
Despite having attended the Wordsworth launch lunch of Tony Leon’s book ‘The Accidental Ambassador: From Parliament to Patagonia‘ at Myoga about a month ago, I accepted Buitenverwachting PR Consultant Sandy Bailey’s invitation to attend Leon’s talk at her Thursday Club lunch at Buitenverwachting, not having been there for a while. Leon delivered on eloquence in speaking, as he does in writing, and he proudly shared that the lunch was the 22nd launch function for his new ‘best seller’ book, the first 6000 copies almost having sold out, and the book being in reprint already. Continue reading →
Rossouw’s Restaurants 2012: No superlative SA Platinum 3-star Restaurant!
JP Rossouw’s Restaurant 3-star list is usually published ahead of the Eat Out Restaurant Awards. and helped to serve as a predictor for the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant list. This year it could not be used, as the Eat Out event is taking place a week earlier, and Rossouw Restaurants’ 2012 3-star list was only announced on Twitter for the first time yesterday, on the eve of the 2011 Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards, taking place at the Rotunda at the Bay Hotel in Camps Bay this evening.
Interesting firstly is that a Platinum Award for best 3-star restaurant has not been awarded by Rossouw, writing on Twitter that “Rossouw’s 2012 Platinum Award for standout 3 Star not awarded this ed. Changes & notable newcomers not yet achieved a track record” . Yet stalwarts like The Tasting Room, Terroir, Overture have been consistent and around for some time.
Comparing Rossouw’s list of 24 3-star restaurants with the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant finalist shortlist of twenty, the following ten exclusions from Rossouw’s 3-star list are evident: Tokara, Pierneef à La Motte, The Restaurant at Grande Provence, Hartford House, Planet Restaurant, Bosman’s, Azure, Roots, Restaurant Maison, and Babel. The ten restaurants that the lists have in common are Greenhouse, Jordan Restaurant with George Jardine, La Colombe, Nobu, Overture, The Roundhouse, The Tasting Room, Terroir, The Test Kitchen, and DW Eleven-13. Bizarre is that Zachary’s at Pezula is included, in that it only operates two nights a week!
The 24 3-star 2012 Rossouw’s Restaurants are the following:
Western Cape: 95 Keerom Street, Aubergine, Bizerca Bistro, The Common Room, Greenhouse, Ile de Pain, Jordan Restaurant, La Colombe, Mariana’s, Nobu, Overture, Roundhouse, Rust en Vrede, The Tasting Room, Terroir, The Test Kitchen, and Zachary’s.
KwaZulu-Natal: 9th Avenue Bistro
Gauteng: Butcher Shop & Grill, Cube, DW Eleven-13, Grillhouse, Ritrivo, and Thomas Maxwell Bistro.
Interesting is that two chefs have told me that recent reviews by Rossouw of their restaurants have appeared to settle old scores, and that what Rossouw writes in his Business Day reviews often contradicts what he posts about the restaurants on his website or publishes in his book. This is unprofessional behaviour from Rossouw, and may be a reason why his ratings and reviews have little significance.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage