The Sweet Service Award goes to Elsa Hoogenhout at the new KWV Sensorium in Paarl, for her passion and professionalism in conducting the tour around the Sensorium, which is meant to be a self-walk tour around the gallery using QR codes. Her knowledge of art, and her close involvement with the innovative art and KWV wine pairing project, made it a pleasure to write a story, given the additional information obtained. She allowed me to take a copy of the KWV Sensorium and Laborie art collection catalogues along, without charging. She already impressed at the Vindaba exhibition, which ran alongside CapeWine 2012, where the Sensorium stand had QR codes for the artworks in the collection, and she explained the concept.
The Sour Service Award goes to Volker’s Feinkost in Paarl, for its exceptionally poor service from the waitress. The owner Volker Goetze was not at his Deli, and the waitress only responded to one in three sentences, forgot the Apfelstrudel ordered as a take-away right at the outset, and offered with the cake less than a teaspoonful of cream in a container that could have taken 20 times that amount, only seen when opened at home. A phone call made to Volker’s cell was not returned at all, while an e-mail was responded to flippantly, explaining that he had to cook for a function they had at their Cascade Manor guest house that day, where he also is the chef, meaning that he is rarely at his Deli. The ‘Feinkost’ name is a misnomer, the Deli only offering pre-packaged cold meats, fresh strawberries, a massive Lecca ice cream selection, and some imported German Maggi products. One can only order waffles and very average rolls with fillings. Its collection of breads was commendable however. The experience reinforces the poor service image of Paarl restaurants, with a few exceptions.
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.
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