Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Cape Town will be jazzing it up on the last weekend of the month, with not only the sold-out Cape Town International Jazz Festival taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 28 – 30 March, but the inaugural Sounds Fringe Festival will offer 60 performances between 27 – 30 March. The list of performers includes The Rudimentals, Spencer Mbadu, Dan Shout, Gerald Clark, Beatenberg, Sterling EQ, Saudiq Khan, Blackie Tempi, and Touchwood. Norwegian trumpeter Arne Hiorth will perform with a choir of 100 singers. Venues are concentrated around Wale Street, at Mandela Rhodes Place, The Twankey Bar, The Reserve at The Taj, Motherland Coffee Company, The Crypt Jazz Restaurant, the Iziko Slave Lodge, and Inn on the Square. The goal of Festival founder Frank Gormley is to position Cape Town as a city of musical note.
* Anna Trapido has been appointed as Editor of Rossouw’s Restaurants, the guide started by JP Rossouw but which he cannot continue with due to his duties as recently appointed Publisher of Platter’s wine guide, and will also handle this role for Rossouw’s Restaurants. Diners Club bought both the Platter’s and Rossouw’s Restaurants guides last year. Trapido is a former Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant judge, and wrote ‘Hunger for Freedom’ about the food which the late Nelson Mandela liked to eat. (received via media release from Africa Sky)
* Cape Town restaurant prices are not increasing because there are more tourists in town, but because food prices have risen sharply, says FEDHASA Cape Restaurant and Catering segment head Rey Franco.
* The Western Cape province is rolling out more free Wi-Fi, Delft, Atlantis, and George being the next areas to benefit from a R1,3 billion project to connect all Western Cape residents to broadband. The provincial Tourism and Finance Minister Alan Winde says 20 million South Africans use the internet, and that the Western Cape has one of the highest internet access rates. (received via media release from Minister Winde’s office)
* Grande Provence is honouring Mother Nature with a ‘Dine in the Dark’ 5-course candlelit meal on 29 March, to join the global Earth Hour. Cost is R750. (received via e-mail from Grande Provence)
* Spier is hosting a Secret Harvest Market on Saturday 15 March, at which food vendors, bakers, florists and farmers will set up stands. Spier wines are available, and the Spier winemakers are preparing a braai. (received via e-mail from Spier)
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
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