The SA Bar Awards 2020 reflected the state of the bar tendering industry of South Africa, it being announced that the event would be cancelled for this year as Lockdown gripped our country, and the Alcohol-serving establishments closing their doors as Covid regulations forbade them from operating during a large part of our five Level Lockdown. Sadly some bars became casualties of the Lockdown. Other bars have not even reopened. A delight was to see some of these Bars win Awards at the SA Bar Awards, which were resurrected as a virtual event held on Monday this week. Continue reading →
I have visited La Paris estate outside Franschhoek a number of times since it opened towards the end of 2017, but never in the evening. I was invited by Chef Nico Vorster to try the evening fare and live music of the La Paris Bistro last Friday, the only day of the week on which the restaurant opens for dinner. We loved the good music, and the cosy comfort food. 
JAN the JOURNAL has published its second volume of 2018, just before the year closed. It has taken me almost two months to look at it after buying a copy at Woolworths, the 297 page manuscript of The Jan Hendrik Group (PTY) Limited being more than intimidating in thickness, and time required to do it justice in reading it. Despite having an editor for the publication, one wonders how Chef Jan-Hendrik manages to find the time to collate such a heavy-weight Journal in his role as Editor-in-Chief, given his commitment as chef to his one Michelin star restaurant JAN in Nice, and his regular trips to Cape Town and SA. 
About three weeks ago I visited Franschhoek for the day, and saw an amazing collection of brand new SA gin brands at Siegies on Huguenot, all being striking in being unknown to me, and each having very distinctive packaging. Autograph Gin was one of these, and it was one of the brands which I photographed and posted on Instagram and Facebook. On Monday I ‘met’ the brand and its Master Distiller Matt Beech, at the Autograph Distillery in Stellenbosch, a goosebump experience, the second of my day!