On Saturday my friend Gary Peterson and I did a road trip to the Winelands, delivering the prize of a 1 litre tube of Rio Largo Extra Virgin Olive Oil to each of the five chefs who made the 2022 Top 10 Women Chefs.
Our first stop was at Le Lude in Franschhoek, and we were lucky that Chef and owner Nicolene Barrow was in her Orangerie restaurant, as she almost always is.
Chef Nicolene is gracious and generous, and she had a special glow, sharing that she got married three months ago, a wedding that had been delayed since the start of Lockdown.
Chef Nicolene was also beaming because business in her restaurant has picked up so well, compared to the Lockdown period. She is very grateful for the support of the locals, which helped to carry her through the difficult Lockdown period. She shared that she has adapted her menu, especially for winter, adding heartier dishes to the menu.
Orangerie is one of my favorite restaurants in Franschhoek. Chef Nicolene is the best qualified Chef in our province, having worked at 2 Michelin-star Le Gavroche in London for two years. She opened Orangerie six years ago. The restaurant serves Lunch and Dinner, as well as High Tea.
We are grateful to Brenda Wilkinson of RIO LARGO Olive Estate for sponsoring a gift of its beautiful colourful Extra Virgin Olive Oil packs to our Top 10 Women Chefs.
RIO LARGO is a producer of award-winning olive oils, its estate located on the Southern banks of the Breede River, between Worcester and Robertson. It comprises olive orchards with 18000 trees, with Frantoio, Leccino, Coratina and FS-17 cultivars, vines, an olive nursery, and a state-of-the-art olive processing and bottling plant. The sunshine hours and cold winters of the estate make the location perfect for olive growing. The Olive Oil is available in 500 ml, 1 litre and 2 litre packs. It is a proudly South African olive oil brand, which has won awards locally and around the globe, including Gold in New York, Silver in Japan, Best Blend in Africa in Paris, Gold at Aurora, ABSA Top Ten, and Gold at the SA Olive Awards.
RIO LARGO Olive Estate, Scherpenheuvel, between Robertson and Worcester. Cell 082 688 0578 www.riolargo.co.za Instagram : @riolargooliveestate
Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whaletalesblog.com www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide, Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide