Mandela Square | WhaleTales Blog by Chris von Ulmenstein

An unusually high number of new restaurants has opened or will do so in the next month or two. There have never been so many chefs leaving their employers to start their own restaurants, or to join other employers! This list of restaurant openings and closings and restaurant staff movements is updated continuously, as we receive new information:

Restaurant Openings

* Kokkedoor judge and Chef Nic van Wyk and Roxy Laker have opened bistro 13 at Stellenbosch Vineyards (Welmoed) (photograph)

* Idiom Wines is said to be opening a restaurant.

* The Butcher Shop & Grill has opened next to Sotano in Mouille Point.

* Michael Townsend (who own the La Parada, Lucky Fish, Harbour House emporium) has opened Tiger’s Milk in Muizenberg, the venue having previously been earmarked for a steakhouse.

* Neil Grant and his business partner Barry Engelbrecht (of Burrata) have opened new restaurant Bocca on the corner of Bree Continue reading →

Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

* TravelMedia.ie has been appointed to handle the marketing of our country for SA Tourism in Ireland, with the number of tourists from Ireland expected to increase. The marketing focus will be on our country’s music, art, fashion, adventure, and culinary travel.

* The USA Department of Agriculture predicts that our country’s vine harvest will decrease by 5%, to 1,42 million metric tons, and that production will decrease to 1,1 billion bottles this year. The export of wine is expected to decrease to 500 million litres. Last year was regarded as a record year for South African wine exports due to the good harvest and the depreciation of the Rand.

* The inaugural AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction, which was held at Delaire Graff yesterday, raised a phenomenal R8,9 million for three charities related to education. (via Twitter and Facebook) (NOTE 17/3: the Auction total has been officially revised to R7 million this morning)

* Receiving only 5% of the world’s 1 billion tourists, Africa needs to develop itself as a tourism brand, the Tourism and Culture Minister of the Seychelles has said. Minister Alain St.Ange called on African leaders to enhance Africa’s tourism awareness. ‘The African continent needs an African Brand. We need a brand that will promote our region in tourism trade fairs. We need a brand that will work hand in hand with United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the UNWTO body‘, he said. Africa must work with Africa, he added. South African Tourism Minister van Schalkwyk appeared to disagree, calling for each African country to do its own destination marketing. He did however call for easier visa application processing for travel within the continent.

* Hard Rock Café has returned to South Africa, and has opened in Johannesburg. Branches in Continue reading →