Tag Archives: supermarkets

Food News: It’s ‘OK’ to eat meat, says ecologist!

A new book, called “Meat: A Benign Extravagance”, by ecologist Simon Fairlie, has turned around current thinking about the effect of meat production on the carbon footprint, and argues for the benefits of meat production, reports the Cape Argus.

Fairlie says that farming with and eating meat “is OK”, and in fact benefits the planet.  He explains that for 30 years the generally accepted view has been that meat-eating is bad for the planet in terms of climate change, and bad for the human race, having led key climate change authorities to propose vegetarianism as a means of solving the planet’s climate problems.

If one follows a vegetarian lifestyle, one has to obtain proteins and fats, in the form of soya, peanut butter, nuts and pulses, impacting on the carbon footprint, whilst fats and proteins could come from farms closer by, with a lesser impact on the environment, he says.   He further argues that the original 1:10 conversion ratio of 10 kg of grain is required to produce 1 kg of beef is an outdated statistic from more than 200 years ago, being closer to 1:7.   For every 1,4 kg of vegetables that one could eat, 1 kg of beef can be produced on a small farm.  Fairlie also argues that humans cannot eat grass, and that cows are an efficient means of ‘transforming’ grass into products that they can eat: milk, butter and cheese.   In addition, they produce natural nutrients in the form of manure, which goes back into nature.

Fairlie is critical of  battery chicken farming and of large-scale cattle production, calling it a “moral and environmental disaster”.   He says that we eat too much meat, because it is so cheap.   He calls for all farming to be organic, and for the government to prevent supermarkets from taking an ever greater cut of the food production cost.

His personal lifestyle includes eating meat twice a week only.  He advocates eating offal, and eating smaller portions of meat.  “Eat local, eat less, is my recipe” he says.  “Support your small farmer.  You’ll enjoy the meat more too”.

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

Restaurant Review: Marcelino The Bakery a callback to a Zerban’s past

Marcelino The Bakery opened about a month ago, at the mountain end of Loop Street, as a big open-plan  bakery.  The owner is Marcelino Siljeur, and his mentor and colleague is Gerd Zerban, the original owner of Zerbans in Sea Point and the Garden Centre.   The bakery is already taking Cape Town by storm, with the most delectable freshly baked breads and rolls, and sweet treats, as well as for the unbelievably low prices charged.

One gives one’s age away if one admits to remembering Zerbans, which was THE coffee shop and bakery in the 1980’s, attracting patrons with a European background in particular.  Marcelino’s father worked for Zerban at that time.  Zerban sold his business to Checkers in the late Eighties, and took up a challenge from Natie Kirsch to set up eight ‘Hot & Crusty’ outlets in Manhattan.  He enjoyed the taste of New York, and then became a consultant for supermarkets in New York.   Returning to South Africa, and to Cape Town, he set up the baking side of New York Bagels in Sea Point, and there he trained Marcelino as his apprentice.   They went their separate ways, and recently decided to get together to start up Marcelino The Bakery.

Marcelino moved to Belvedere in Claremont after completing his apprenticeship with Zerban at New York Bagels, and then moved to Zambia to open a bakery. He returned to Cape Town to work at the French Confectionery, before enrolling at the Chef’s School at Zevenwacht, seeing the hospitality industry as a new challenge, and wanting a formal qualification.   He worked at the Cape Town International Convention Centre after completing his course, and then worked on the QE 2 as patissier, followed by a stint as Product Developer at Pick ‘n Pay, baker at Ille de Pain in Knysna, and at Cassis, giving him an excellent rounding in baking and pastry-making.

Marcelino is a soft-spoken generous baker and businessman, yet is with it as far as Social Media Marketing is concerned, and is already marketing his business on Twitter. 

Crispy rolls cost R1,80, and other rolls (pumpkin, hotdog, mixed seed) cost R2,50.  Croissants cost R8 plain, and R12 for those filled with chocolate, cheese or almond.   Ciabattas cost R22, French and sourdough baguettes cost R 14, 66 % rye bread R22, and a seed loaf R22.  Some of the breads are available in small sizes too, at half price.

On the sweet side, chocolate, lemon, lemon meringue, pecan and apple, and baked plum tarts cost R20, cake slices range between R12 – R20,  doughnuts cost R3,99, and cakes such as Mocha Baiser, Champagne Cake, Brandy Cake, Spanish Vanilla and the Marcelino Special cost R190.   A little more expensive are Sacher Torte, Hollander Kirsch, Pfalzer Kirsch, Swedish Apple Cake and Prinzregenten Torte.   Slices of Butterkuchen, Apfelstrudel, Zwiebelkuchen, Apple Streusel and Apricot Strudel cost R10, as do danishes.  Quiche slices cost R15 for a choice of four.    The poppy seed crispy rolls are just like those baked by a German bakery, and are a million times better than those sold by Raith in the Garden Centre.

Marcelino hopes to expand into the adjacent space in about six months, and wants to set up a restaurant section there.  Currently he has a little space at the entrance to the bakery, as well as on the pavement outside, to serve his bargain lunches, and coffee and sweet treat specials. 

Marcelino The Bakery, 210 Loop Street, Cape Town.  Tel 021 422 0168. Twitter @MarcelinoBakery. www.marcelinothebakery.com. Mondays – Fridays 6h00 – 16h00, Saturdays and Sundays 7h00 – 13h00.

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

Wine marketing will be hit by Liquor Act

Wine marketing will not be the same again if the planned provisions in the proposed amendment to the Western Cape Liquor Act and Regulations are introduced.   However, some changes are positive.

Wine.co.za reported about the implications the “stern regulations” for wine estates in South Africa, as well as for persons selling wine, or just collecting it.

The proposed regulations give municipalities a greater say in wine marketing, with wine licence applications costing R 1 000 for the application alone, R 2 000 for the granting of a wine licence, and R 4 000 per annum for the renewal fee.

The new Act, according to Danie Cronje, of Cluver Markotter Incorporated, and a speaker at the recent South African Wine Tourism Conference, demands that wine estates must have a licence to produce wine – previously they needed it to sell wines.    The new Act only exempts garagistes who make wine for themselves and do not plan to resell it, from the licence.   Producers who use other producers’ wine cellars will also have to apply for a licence, as will wine estates who sell their stock to existing licence holders, such as hotels, restaurants and liquor stores, currently being exempt from a licence requirement.  

The article refers to the Act allowing wine estates to now charge for winetastings, but this has been done for some time now.   The winetasting times are subject to the  municipal regulations.  So, for example, it is proposed that liquor stores, wine shops and supermarkets be allowed to open from 9h00 – 18h00, while restaurants, hotels, clubs and pubs can trade from 11h00 – 2h00, if they are not in a residential area, where the trading time is reduced until 21h00.   

Licence applications will also have to be advertised in local newspapers, displayed on the premises, and submitted to the municipalities and ward councillors, the Act proposes. 

Wine estates may not sell more than 30 litres of wine, 10 litres of spirits, or 100 litres of beer per day to a person who does not have a liquor licence.   It would also be an offence to have more than this quantity of liquor in one’s possession, even in one’s home, a major knock for wine collectors, who would be forced to get a liquor licence as well.  

One good aspect of the proposed legislation change is that supermarkets may sell wine up to 16,5 % alcohol content, compared to 14 %, once the legislation is passed.   Also, wine sales on Sundays in supermarkets could also be allowed, subject to municipal approval thereof as to the trading days and hours. 

Another positive aspect of the Act is that open bottles of wine may not be transported, and one may not drink alcohol and drive, with heavy fines to be implemented.

Cronje has recommended to the wine industry that liquor licence applications should be done before the new Liquor Act is legislated, because it will become a more cumbersome and expensive process once the Act is legislated.

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com