Tag Archives: Platter’s

Bye Bye Brucie Baby: a tribute to Chef Bruce Robertson

Bruce Robertson in sea 2Today we celebrated the life of one of our country’s most creative and maverick chefs, Bruce Robertson having passed away suddenly of leukemia on Monday, only four days after he received the diagnosis.  Hundreds of restaurant industry friends, family, and past patrons gathered at the False Bay Rugby Club in Constantia, to pay tribute to the happy-go-lucky man.

A special marquee had been erected, with benches, a table with eats brought along by the Bruce Robertson Programme Whale Cottagefoodies, and lots of wines supplied by Cederberg (he only served this brand ‘with altitude and attitude‘ at his former The Boat House, and most recent The Flagship), Spier (where his close friend Tony Romer-Lee is involved), Villiera MCC, and Flagstone (winemaker Bruce Jack and Chef Bruce jointly made a wine called Bruce’s Juice at one stage).  On the marquee walls were blown up black and white photographs of Chef Bruce, including one of him dressed in drag!  There were so many familiar Continue reading →

Blaauwklippen’s 31st Blending Competition makes history!

Blaauwklippen Artwork for Blend label Whale CottageFriday’s 31st Blaauwklippen Blending Competition event was not only a celebration of the enthusiasm and skills of wine clubs around the country, but also of the rejuvenation of Blaauwklippen, with a number of changes made with a new Tasting Room venue, the addition of a new Bistro with a new champion for it, a new Spirits Room, and a redecorated entrance and cellar function room.   The Blending Competition made history with its most unusual outcome.

We were welcomed on a perfect function weather day on the lawn between the Tasting Room and the Manor House and Jonkershuis, a space I had never seen before. We were served Blaauwklippen’s Ons Sprankel wine, and canapés made by new Blaauwklippen Bistro owner and charcutier Steve Jeffery.  They were served by dapper looking waitresses, wearing Bistro black outfits and cheeky hats, looking smarter than most restaurant staff I have seenBlaauwklippen Canapes Waitress Whale Cottage in a long time.  They offered platters of spinach and feta phyllo pastry parcels, and mozzarella pesto roulades, which doubled up as the starters (I did not see the third canapé specified on the menu).  Natalie Campbell told me that the Manor House is used for conferences and weddings, while the Jonkershuis is used for staff accommodation.

I had a chance to chat to Steve before we sat down, and he told me that he has been at the Old Biscuit Mill for the past nine years, selling his charcuterie products, having had a stand at Blaauwklippen’s Market at one stage too.  Rolf and Steve had been talking for about two years about doing something jointly, and Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 8 September

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Platter’s is evaluating its 5 star wines differently this year, already tasted blind by its panel of wine evaluators.  Tim James, one of the Platter’s tasters, has explained in his blog today what changes publisher JP Rossouw has introduced, the selection of the more than 200 potential 5-star wines taking place today.  The potential 5-star wines are nominated by the tasters.  For the evaluation, additional tasters will be used, who were not used for the sighted tastings due to their commercial links to some wines.  Seven panels with three tasters each will blind taste about 30 wines, scored in silence, and discussed thereafter, one by one.

*   Dame Helen Mirren was seen arriving at Cape Town International this morning, to star in a film with actors Colin Firth and Aaron Paul, in Gavin Hood’s ‘Eye in the Sky‘.

*   Chef and MasterChef SA judge Pete Goffe-Wood is a new SecretEATS chef, having recently cooked at the by-invitation- Continue reading →

Waterford and Rustenberg top Christian Eedes Top 10 Cabernet Sauvignons!

Christian Eedes Cab Sauvignon Top 10 Report 2014Earlier this week Christian Eedes presented the results of his third annual Christian Eedes Cabernet Sauvignon Report, sponsored by Sanlam Private Investments, at a lunch-time function held at Burrata.  A number of the Top 10 winemakers have collected Top 10 awards in the past three years, reflecting the consistency of the results for South Africa’s second largest varietal.  Eight of the Top 10 Cabernet Sauvignon winners are from Stellenbosch this year.

Eedes explained that sixty Cabernet Sauvignon producers were invited, on the basis of their performance in Platter’s, at Veritas, and other wine awards, to submit their wines for evaluation for his Top 10 Cabernet Sauvignon Report. Roland Peens and James Pietersen, both from Wine Cellar (James was formerly with Belthazar) were his fellow judges, as has been the case in the first two years.   The standard is higher every year, Eedes said, making it more difficult to judge than before.  He thanked Social Media writers for assisting him in spreading the results of his Reports.  Continue reading →