For the first time I was invited to assist in the judging of the 2016 SA Dairy Championships, 72 judges evaluating 895 dairy products entered by 85 producers, both record numbers. A total of 23 products received a Qualité Award, and one of these was named as the South African Dairy Product of the Year 2016, namely Dalewood Fromage Huguenot 12 months matured. Continue reading →
Tag Archives: Dalewood Fromage
Dalewood Fromage Estate Cheese from a pastured Jersey herd in the Winelands!
I have driven past Dalewood Farm for many years on my way to and from Franschhoek, but had read that one could only enter by invitation. Yesterday a blackboard on the R45 invited me onto the farm, and the surprise Cheesery Shop, a Factory shop offering the cheese range at reduced prices to the public.
Dalewood Fromage is owned by Rob and Petrina Visser, who keep a very low profile. The Dalewood cheeses are made from Jersey milk from the farm’s own herd. Their pasture is bio-dynamically managed, and the herd is not treated with antibiotics air hormones. Dalewood cheeses do not contain preservatives, flavorants, or colourants.
A friendly sales lady greeted me, and allowed me to taste their Boland Continue reading →
Marcel’s Frozen Yoghurt 2015 SA Dairy Product of the Year!
The winner of the 2015 SA Dairy Championships is Marcel’s Frozen Yoghurt, which was named South African Dairy Product of the Year for its Woolworths Tropical Fruit Frozen Yoghurt.
Organisers of the Championships Agri-Expo said that it is the first time in the history of the dairy product competition that a frozen yoghurt has won the SA Dairy Championships, against a total of close to 900 dairy product entries received from 80 dairy producers, judged by 61 judges, including chefs and food writers. A total of 95 dairy products were named South African Champions, and Continue reading →
Grande Provence adds tasty Tapas Treats to its Tasting Room!
I was invited to try the new Tapas Menu at Grande Provence yesterday, a day after it was introduced in the attractive industrial steel-decorated Tasting Room on the wine estate in Franschhoek. While The Restaurant at Grande Provence may be perceived to be on the expensive side, the Tapas Menu is excellent value for money, and in a class of its own, compared to very average offerings generally available.The Tasting Room was buzzing at the counter made of steel, with its funky bar stools for which the seats are made to resemble tractor seats, very comfortable and stable seating. A group of about twenty filled the Tasting Room, having arrived with the Franschhoek Wine Tram, it being their fifth stop of winetasting. They are fetched from the Wine Tram railway line stop and taken to the Tasting Room by trailer linked to a tractor. The driver told me that 
they are very busy due to the Wine Tram on weekends.
they are very busy due to the Wine Tram on weekends.I sat at the only table in the far corner of the Tasting Room, and Chef Zayne Grobler (deputy to Executive Chef Darren Badenhorst who was out of town for the weekend) came to greet me, and talked me through the new Tapas menu. There is a big board on the right hand wall as one enters, listing the Tapas items and the prices, and a mobile one, which was brought to the table. As Chef Zayne and I went through the menu, we noticed some spelling errors, Continue reading →