One of the shock decisions by the Government during the State of Disaster during the Corona Virus Lockdown has been to make it illegal to export South African wines, and to transport wines from wine estates to the ports, just nine days after exports were allowed, and despite the export of fresh fruit and other agricultural products being allowed. The export wine ban means a loss of R200 million per week to the wine industry, says industry body VinPro. Continue reading →
Last week I was invited to a Media Preview of the 2020 Cape Town Carnival, at its Warehouse in Maitland, and introduced to the Carnival theme, float preparations, staff, and costumes. I was struck by the bold colours of this year’s Carnival, and the enthusiasm of the staff who we were introduced to. The theme for this year is ‘Incredible Journey: Sounds of South Africa’, and will be held on Human Rights Day, 21 March. Continue reading →
Liam Tomlin is the most internationally experienced and respected but one of the least known chefs working in Cape Town, despite having worked in our country for ten years. The recent move of his Chef’s Warehouse & Cookery School on New Church Street to Bree Street, now named Chef’s Warehouse & Canteen, seems to have transformed him and he seems happier than he has been for a long time, being back in the kitchen and hands-on in his restaurant.
Located in a heritage building on food fashionable Bree Street, where Caveau used to be before it went under, Chef’s Warehouse & Canteen has been painted a soft grey, which brings out the best of its simple red Chef’s Warehouse branding. When I arrived to meet Judy for lunch, I spotted former Portofino restaurateur Cormac Keane 
having lunch as I was taking a photograph of the exterior of the building. Cormac was a maverick whilst he lived in Cape Town, and it is a shame that he left Cape Town to return to London, having shaken things up in the restaurant industry when he operated here until the World Cup 2010, it not living up to his expectations. The Irish roots of Chef Liam and Cormac created a friendship in the early days in Cape Town for both men, which still holds. Chef Liam started his career in Australia, and opened his restaurant BANC in Sydney, which earned him a 3 Hats award, as well as two Restaurant of the Year awards. He moved to our country ten years ago, and has written cookbooks (‘BANC’, ‘Season to Taste’, and ‘Lessons with Liam‘), which are available at Chef’s Warehouse, still serves on the British Airways Taste Team, and has assisted wine estates such as La Motte in setting up Pierneef à La Motte and its kitchen. For a year he operated at Leopard’s Leap in Franschhoek, selling cooking and baking utensils and vessels, and offering cooking courses, whilst also Continue reading →
The Sweet Service Award goes to Ria’s Pools in Franschhoek, who came to our rescue late afternoon on 31 December, when the pool at Whale Cottage Franschhoek had a technical problem, which prevented the pool vacuum cleaner from moving. All pool companies servicing Franschhoek, even from Stellenbosch and Paarl, were called, and only Ria’s Pools’ Morne called back. Morne came back the following day, on a public holiday, to check that all was in order, as well as two days later. He has won his company a new client for his outstanding service.
The Sour Service Award goes to Tafelberg Furnishers in Green Point, where the branch manager Sterna took no interest in hearing a complaint about the lack of feedback by the salesman about the time of delivery of a washing machine to our Whale Cottage Franschhoek. Sterna just put me through to the Warehouse, making it my problem to sort it out with them, instead of listening to my complaint about her colleague.
The WhaleTales Sweet & Sour Service Awards are presented every Friday on the WhaleTales blog. Nominations for the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be sent to Chris von Ulmenstein at info@whalecottage.com. Past winners of the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be read on the Friday posts of this blog, and in the WhaleTales newsletters on the www.whalecottage.com website.