Category Archives: WhaleTales Blog

Sweet Service Award goes to Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra; Sour Service Award goes to EbbTide 201 Trustee!

 

The Sweet Service Award goes to the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, for performing a lunch-time Concert of Gratitude outside the Groote Schuur Hospital on 15 September, to thank the healthcare workers of the hospital for all their work, support of patients, and sacrifices made during the Corona pandemic. ‘Our tribute to the health workers of South Africa. They put their lives on the line to ensure we were all as safe as possible. Thank you. We hope you enjoy our tribute to you’, wrote the Orchestra Director Louis Heyneman.

 

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Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 12 of Level 3, 23 September 2021

 

Thursday 23 September 2021, Day 12 of Level 2 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for a good night’s sleep, with a good time of deep sleep, being more of a light sleeper; for preparing for my client meetings today; for a walk through Bakoven; for my rolls waiting for me at Dinkel and succumbing to a Berliner, the best I’ve had in years, oozing lots of apricot jam; for a shopping trip to Hartlief; for good Status meetings for Anatoli and Utopia, the latter being full for dinner tonight, and for lunch and dinner for the next two days, and introducing a new Tasting Menu Continue reading →

Franschhoek Chef represents Africa in 2021 S. Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year

 

Marcus Gericke, Head Chef at Le Coin Français in Franschhoek, is representing Africa and the Middle East in the 2021 S. Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year competition taking place in October.

Chef Marcus faces stiff competition from eleven other regions’ chefs,  and voting has opened to choose the world’s best Young Chef for 2021. The winner will be announced on 28 – 30 October, during the Grand Finale of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy 2021.  A Fine Dining Livers Food for Thought Award 2021 can be won by one of the Young Chef Finalists too.  Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 10 of Level 2, 22 September 2021

 

Wednesday 22 September 2021, Day 10 of Level 2 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#gratefui for a wonderful hot day, at 26C, with amazing sunsets tonight; for 2 Discovery Gameboard plays, allowing me to buy a Woolworths shopping voucher; for a hard working day, every second weekday being a catch up day, it getting busier and busier, luckily being at home all day until late this afternoon when I drove to Zest to welcome Mamohau Seseane, a Kfm presenter on Sunday evenings, with the most beautiful voice, we having last seen each other dancing at HQ two years ago; for a Continue reading →

Discovery Business Insure announces ‘Restaurant Re-Discovery’ competition, but prize money too small to make a difference to the restaurant industry !

 

Discovery Business Insure has announced that it is supporting the hard-hit Restaurant industry, by calling a competition whereby restaurants can celebrate their ‘ReDiscovery’, and have a chance to win R25000, according to Good Things Guy. 

The Discovery Business Insure ‘ReDiscovery’ gesture is linked to the upcoming Heritage Day of 24 September, inviting Restaurants to celebrate their roots and heritage. Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 9 of Level 2, 21 September 2021

 

Tuesday 21 September 2021, Day 9 of Level 2 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for a busy day, with an early start, having to be at Zest at 9h00 for a breakfast of newkings boutique hotel and Piazza da Luz staff, as a thank you gesture from owner Romao da Luz; for a chat and catch up with Michael MacKenzie who was also breakfasting at Zest, staying in the newkings hotel; for seeing Lynn Matthias, Therese Kallie and Renate Flint, who were attending a birthday lunch of 20 persons at Zest, a number of them being members of the International Women’s Club; for a quick shop at Woolies, and for being able to use the new Woolies NOW NOW Wifi when I Continue reading →

Germany and the USA lift South Africa from their high-risk Traveller Lists !

 

While the UK remains steadfast in keeping South Africa on its Red List, Germany and the USA have announced the welcome news that they will welcome travellers from South Africa, report Businesstech and fin24.

Each of these two countries still have some entrance requirements, but these are mild compared to the rigorous regulations demanded of local travellers by the UK Government.

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Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 8 of Level 2, 20 September 2021

 

Monday 20 September 2021, Full Moon, Day 8 of Level 2 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for a day that just got better and better, starting with a wake-up arrival back into the building at 2h00 this morning by Sacha Jack’s EbbTide 201 tenant Franklin, ready to start a party with his loud music, I luckily being able to fall sleep again; for glorious rain this morning; for a hard-working morning; for an hour long interview by brand new magazine IconicSA editor Isaac, for their inaugural October issue, focusing on my role as being an honest and controversial restaurant Continue reading →

SA Tourism body fumes over UK’s refusal to remove SA from its Red List!

 

The UK removed a number of countries, including Kenya, Pakistan, Egypt, and The Maldives, from its Red List last week, but South Africa was not one the nine countries benefiting from the travel relaxation, reports Daily Maverick. 

SA Tourism Services Association (SATSA) CEO David Frost spoke out harshly, describing the decision by the UK to not include our country as ‘scandalous and completely unacceptable’. Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 7 of Level 2, 19 September 2021

 

Sunday 19 September 2021, Day 7 of Level 2 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for a cool day in more ways than one, only 16C but the promised rain never arrived, but it is forecast for tomorrow; for a day of food and connection, having breakfast with Mullerie Taljaard at Labotessa Café, catching up, receiving good advice, and being spoilt rotten with more Diptyque shampoo, soap and conditioner, gifted to each of us by owner Johan du Plessis ❤️; for a quick vegetable shop at Fideli’s; for lunch with Jenny Stephens at Zest, having the Spring Menu of 5 courses at R198, a catch up after three months of not seeing each other, also meeting diners who Continue reading →