On Thursday we saluted Ken and Allan Forrester, Natasha Wray, and Martin Meinert, the four original founders of 96 Winery Road on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, who still jointly own the restaurant 21 years later. It was a Media Lunch filled with nostalgia and reminiscing, being served the restaurant’s most popular dishes over the 21 years. Continue reading →
Tag Archives: Tony Romer-Lee
Bye Bye Brucie Baby: a tribute to Chef Bruce Robertson
Today 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 
foodies, 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 →
WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 30 November/1 December
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Restaurant news dominated the list of most read blogposts on our WhaleTales blog in November, the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards write-up being by far the most popular blogpost:
1. Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards: best event ever, some highs, some shocks!
2. Mother Nature hits Mother City and the Winelands!
3. South African hotelier slates TripAdvisor and its blackmail power!
4. Mediclinic Vergelegen Sweet Service and Giorgio Nava Sour Service Awards!
5. Restaurant Review: La Parada Bar de Tapas Bree Street is Espanol puro!
* A new hospitality consulting company PMR Hospitality Partners has been created by industry stalwarts Tony Romer-Lee and Euan McGlashan. Their newest venture is PMR Hospitality Partners. The media release describes the company as a ‘ boutique African hospitality management company based in Cape Town, South Africa and Atlanta, USA, through its sister firm, Valor Hospitality Partners (www.valorhospitality.com)‘. Romer-Lee has worked for McGrath Hotels, and before that both partners worked at the Cape Grace, and Halcyon Hotels, which previously owned the Bay Hotel.
The focus will be on quality customer service, driven by PMR’s on-time Continue reading →
WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 21 November
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Brangelina’s Miravel Rosé is the first pink wine to have made the Wine Spectator Top 100 exciting wines list. This year South Africa’s Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2012, Ashbourne Sandstone 2008 (also made by Hamilton Russell), and AA Badenhorst Family 2009 are also on the Top 100 list.
* Hartenberg is hosting its annual Riesling Rocks Festival on 25 January, with our country’s best Rieslings available to taste, paired with gourmet deli food. Hartenberg winemaker Carl Schultz is regarded as one of the best local Riesling winemakers. Tickets cost R120. (received via media release via Smart Communications & Events)
* Indaba will run over only three days next year, from 10 – 12 May, SA Tourism giving the ‘stagnant’ trade show in Durban a makeover with changes being implemented over the next two years. The focus will be to meet and engage, rather than man large stands. SA Tourism Chief Marketing Officer Jan Hutton will meet with the tourism industry in Durban and Cape Town next week, to share her plans for Indaba 2014.
* Tony Romer-Lee is said to be leaving the McGrath Collection at the end Continue reading →