The 7th Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club meeting takes place on Wednesday 24 November, from 6 – 8 pm, at The Grand Daddy Hotel, and will pair Marisa Hendricks from The Creative Pot Blog, and Emile Joubert from the Wine Goggle Blog. 
Marisa Hendricks is an accountant by day, and a food blogger by night. She lives in Brackenfell and works in Stellenbosch. She started her The Creative Pot blog in 2006 but only seriously starting posting in the first half of 2009. She joined Twitter at the end of last year, and says that she is loving every minute of it. “It’s really exciting to see the effect that social media has”, she says. Marisa started experimenting in the kitchen from a young age, trying new recipes, ingredients and techniques. She also likes to explore foreign cultures via the foods that they eat. She sees blogging as a creative outlet, and is developing her photographic skills, something she saw as a “necessary evil” initially. The Creative Pot Blog stands for “Explore – Innovate – Eat”.
Emile Joubert is a controversial blogger, and may be written about more than he writes! His Twitter avatar features him as topless! He says that he started his winegoggle blog “for a laugh”. He studied journalism and worked at Die Burger as arts and entertainment editor. Moving onto Public Relations, he joined PR consultancy De Kock & Kerkoff, promoting cement, diesel engines, ostrich fathers and unit trusts, he writes. He wanted the wine accounts, but these were in the ‘hands of pretty and smart girls”. This resulted in him starting his own PR consultancy Media Vision, specialising in wine, hospitality and tourism PR, as well as financial services. He has continued writing, for Die Burger, Insig and Media24. The winegoggle Blog describes itself as “Wine, food and fun through rosé-tinted spectacles”.
The Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club was formed to reflect the tremendous growth in and power of food and wine blogs in forming opinion about food, restaurants and wines. Most bloggers do not have any formal training in blogging, and learnt from others. Each of the two bloggers will talk for about half an hour about their blog, and what they have learnt about blogging. The Club will give fledgling as well as experienced bloggers the opportunity to learn from each other and to share their knowledge with others. Attendees can ask questions, and get to know fellow bloggers. The Club meetings are informal and fun.
Wines are brought along by the wine blogging speaker, and Emile Joubert will introduce the wines served. Snacks will be served. The cost of attendance is R100. Bookings can be made by e-mailing info@whalecottage.com.
Venue: The Grand Daddy Hotel. 38 Long Street, Cape Town.
The programme for the 2011meetings for future Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club meetings will be announced in January.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.comTwitter: @WhaleCottage
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