Tag Archives: Slow Market

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 11 December

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The number one World 50 Best Restaurants, El Celler de Can Roca in Spain, is taking its ground-breaking cuisine on a world ‘Roca and Roll World Tour 2014‘ , with pop-up events in different countries, starting with Mexico, Columbia, and Peru.  It is not known whether Cape Town is on their world tour itinerary.

*   Former Cape Times editor Alide Dasnois will take her dismissal to the CCMA or Department of Labour. 

*   Constantia Glen has created a new Tasting Room, using the services of top decorator Graham Viney, who has created a ‘fusion of European and Cape design‘. The wine bar previously was the stables and cow byre.  ‘The Arts and Crafts, Victorian and Cape Dutch idioms employed all combine to make a wonderfully stylish, contemporary venue, with ravishing vineyard and mountain views falling away to the north towards Kirstenbosch and rising steeply to the south to the Constantiaberg’, said Mr Viney.  The Waibel family, owners of the wine estate, have displayed their collection of pottery by Hymie Rabinowitz, who used to create his works of art on the estate. A dining room for private functions has also been created. (received via media release from GC Communications)

*   To follow in the footsteps of the late Nelson Mandela, a number of sites are recommended to be visited on an informal Nelson Mandela Route in Johannesburg.

*   The organisation of the late Nelson Mandela’s memorial service at the FNB Stadium yesterday, and attended by world leaders as well as music, film, Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 5 December

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Wine judge and writer Tim James, and winner of a number of wine writing competitions, including the inaugural Du Toitskloof Wine Writer of the Year as well as the Franschhoek Literary Festival wine writing award, has expressed his strongest criticism of the announcement of the 2014 Franschhoek Literary Festival wine writing competition.   It has been announced that the competition and its prize money will be split into short writing (less than 1500 words) and long writing (3000 – 4000 words).  No award will be given to any writing submitted of between 1500 – 3000 words!  Earlier this year the Franschhoek Literary Festival, and the convenor of its wine writing judging committee John Maytham, were lambasted when they chose to not award the prize at all, stating that no entry was of a good enough standard. (Note: the category definitions have subsequently been changed to under 1000 words, and 1000 – 4000 words)

*   Only 8% of South African tourism and hospitality businesses plan to appoint more staff, according to tourism consultants Grant Thornton, compared to 25% by their global counterparts.

*   South African restaurant brands operating in the United Arab Emirates include Nando’s, Butcher Shop, Meat & Co, Mug & Bean, and Debonairs Pizza.

*   Argentina is encouraging its citizens to stay home with a punitive 35% tax on all credit card payments made outside the country, to protect its monetary reserves.

*   The Stellenbosch Wine Festival will take place from 24 January – 2 Continue reading →

Eat Out goes to market in March at Old Biscuit Mill!

The Eat Out DStv Food Network Festival 2013 will be held at the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old BIscuit Mill on 15 and 16 March, consisting of a day and night market, a pop-up picnic, and a chefs’ ‘market-to-table dinner’.

Originally the Eat In Produce Awards, which brand name was dropped last year and incorporated under the Eat Out brand, the Eat Out Festival 2013 will recognise the best fresh food producers in South Africa, and they will be setting up stands with their produce at the night market on 15 March. On the same evening the pop-up picnics, ironically sponsored by ‘Knorr whatsfordinner‘, will be prepared by Chef Jenny Morris and Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly, using only the fresh food producers’ award winning products.  One can order picnics, prepared at the ‘Knorr whatsfordinner kitchen’, an unfortunate brand association which reminds one of Chef Reuben Riffel’s endorsement of Robertsons spices and herbs, and a product type one does not expect in food in a picnic basket, nor in association with Eat Out!

On 16 March the fresh food produce winners will display and sell their produce again, as part of the Neighbourgoods Market in the morning.  In the evening five chefs, as yet unnamed in the Eat Out media release, will serve a ‘unique interactive market-to-table dinner’, sponsored by Woolworths, client of New Media Publishing in contract publishing its Taste magazine.  There is no doubt that Chef Luke Dale-Roberts will be one of the chefs, given that his restaurants The Test Kitchen and The Pot Luck Club both are based at the Old Biscuit Mill, and that he has a business relationship with Woolworths.  However, Woolworths’ ingredients will not be used, once again the fresh food producers’ products being used in the five chefs’ pop-up kitchens, the media statement says.

The media release makes it sound as if this is a first for Eat Out (or its ex-Eat In), but it has held the Producer Awards at both the Slow Market at Oude Libertas and the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in previous years.  Only the pop-up chefs’ kitchen is a new aspect of the Festival.

Eat Out DStv Food Network Festival 2013, Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock.  15 March evening and 16 March morning free entrance.  Pop-up Chefs’ dinner costs R350 for 3 courses and wine, according to the Eat Out media release and R400 according to the Eat Out internet newsletter announcement, both published on the same day, and R700 for dinner for two!   Bookings: 0827826707.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage