{"id":12774,"date":"2010-10-02T11:20:13","date_gmt":"2010-10-02T09:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=12774"},"modified":"2011-05-20T19:09:35","modified_gmt":"2011-05-20T17:09:35","slug":"restaurant-news-warwick-launches-new-improved-summer-picnics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/wine-news\/restaurant-news-warwick-launches-new-improved-summer-picnics\/","title":{"rendered":"Restaurant News: Warwick launches new improved summer picnics"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Yesterday Warwick wine estate launched its new Summer picnics, with a number of changes relative to last year.\u00a0 Earlier this week I was invited to a sneak preview of the changes, and was one of a panel of volunteer blogger tasters (with Nikki Dumas, Lesley Cox, Anel Grobler, Polly Howard, Cathy Marston, Maggie Mostert\u00a0and Hennie Coetzee) to give feedback about the new picnic.\u00a0\u00a0 I was critical of the picnic<\/span>\u00a0<\/a> <\/strong>on a\u00a0first visit last year, and was happy to see\u00a0a number of improvements on my latest visit.<\/p>\n

So what has changed?:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0 There is a new chef in the house!\u00a0\u00a0 Mark Springhorn has left Vergelegen in Somerset West, to join Mike Ratcliffe and the Warwick team.\u00a0 Given that Chef Bruce Robertson, who designed the original gourmet picnic for Warwick, is on tour so frequently, he no longer is the consultant chef.\u00a0 Chef Mark has built on Bruce’s quirkiness, and added more of a “Spring-feeling” to the picnic.<\/p>\n

The quirky picnic “basket”, consisting of a cutting board, a table cloth, a box with the food items, a baguette and the Warwick newspaper, cleverly held together with a handle so that one can carry everything, remains as is.\u00a0 The packaging containing the food is recyclable.\u00a0 The bread is certainly better than I remember it, and comes from Sweet in Stellenbosch.\u00a0 Inside the box is the following:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Duo of cheeses: Simonsberg camembert and 12 month matured cheddar<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \"\"<\/a>*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Charcuterie selection, including salami and coppa ham<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Chickpea fritters served with home-made tzatziki – this was the only dish\u00a0that did not excite me<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Home-made rooibos and oak smoked Chilean salmon served with a buttermilk-dill dressing – oh boy, I have never seen such good looking deep-orange salmon cubes (looking like pumpkin), and with\u00a0the most wonderful smoked taste – the absolute highlight of the picnic.<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Biltong, mushroom and brandy pate – more brandy and mushroom can now be tasted in this foundation element of the picnic<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Homemade apple, pear and pecan chutney<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tricolour\u00a0tower of basil pesto, sun dried tomato puree\u00a0and hummus<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Honey cashew chicken salad with herb mayonnaise and orange slices – the oranges were a nice colour and taste touch<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Decadent chocolate brownies topped with white chocolate ganache and onto which was sprinkled cranberries and pistachios, incredibly rich, and looking like an early mini-Christmas cake.<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A box of Maynards wine gums.<\/p>\n

The tasting panel ummmed and ahhhhed, enjoying all the elements.\u00a0 Chef Mark plans to change an item on the picnic menu every week,\u00a0testing the customer response and reacting to it as the season goes along.\u00a0\u00a0When one books, special dietary requests will be ascertained.\u00a0 Vegetarian and kiddies picnic baskets are available too.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 The price has stayed the same, costing R 299 for a basket enough for 2 persons.\u00a0\u00a0 (One can order an extra baguette)<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0To address the congestion in collecting the picnic baskets inside the wine tasting building, a new outdoor picnic collection area has been created, which will also be where Jack Black beer can be bought on tap.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0 To address the issue of staff not checking on guests’ drinks’ requirements well enough in the past, a trolley with “flat tackies” and a bell will be wheeled around the vast Warwick picnic area, containing ice cream, Jack Black beer and Warwick wines.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>5.\u00a0 “Picnic pods” have been built around the dam, shielded from the South Easter, with tables that have built-in ice buckets to keep the Warwick wines chilled.\u00a0\u00a0 They differ in size, and can be booked to accommodate groups of picnickers.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0 The Warwick vineyards\u00a0are hidden from the picnic area,\u00a0but can be seen on a\u00a0Big Five Safari (showing the five vine types grown on the wine estate).\u00a0 Grapes have now been planted\u00a0close to the picnic area, and also at the entrance to Warwick.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 A suggestion for Warwick to have a presence on Twitter, in addition to that of Mike Ratcliffe, was implemented the following day (@Warwickchef), demonstrating how responsive Mike and his team are in accepting feedback.<\/p>\n

A picnic at Warwick on a\u00a0gorgeous Winelands summer’s day is an enjoyable family outing, with good food and wine, and lots of safe space for the kids to play on the jungle gym, in the little shallow stream, and to just run around.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>POSTSCRIPT 20\/5<\/strong>: For winter Warwick has introduced a good value Tapas menu, and I popped in for lunch to try it on my way to Franschhoek today.\u00a0 There was very little happening there, and therefore it was a surprise to not see anyone in the Tasting Room nor in the next door restaurant\/shop\/picnic counter.\u00a0 I called, but no one responded.\u00a0 Luckily the waitress Vanessa came back inside, and showed me to a table outside – it was such a lovely warm day.\u00a0\u00a0A material serviette and excellent quality St James cutlery is brought to the table,\u00a0and the lack of a tablecloth is a disappointment therefore.\u00a0 She brought a blackboard with the Tapas menu to my table, and the handwriting on it did not reflect the stature of this wine estate.\u00a0 Chef Mark Springhorn\u00a0was on leave and owner Mike Ratcliffe is travelling overseas, so it was disappointing for me.\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 I chose the Mixed cold plate (R35), which was only ‘mixed’ because it contained two slices each of cold meat (coppa and salami),\u00a0two blocks of cheese and a sundried tomato relish.\u00a0\u00a0It was served with a basket of ciabatta bread, which was wonderful.\u00a0\u00a0Other Tapas options are:\u00a0 cheese souffl\u00e9, smoked camembert and chef’s soup, each costing R25; sole paupiettes, and chef’s salad, all costing R35; Venison samoosas and denningvleis each cost R 45.\u00a0 Sweet treats cost R25, for Persian love cake, and Brownies.\u00a0 Children are also catered for, with salami pizza, a cupcake that the children can make themselves, and ice cream, at R25 each.\u00a0 I enjoyed the LavAzza cappuccino.\u00a0\u00a0 One can still enjoy picnics at Warwick, but must pre-book them in winter.<\/p>\n

Warwick wine estate<\/strong>, R44, between Klapmuts and Stellenbosch.\u00a0 Tel (021)\u00a0884-3144\u00a0Twitter: @WarwickChef\u00a0\u00a0 www.warwickwine.co.za<\/a>\u00a0 On the Stellenbosch Restaurant Route<\/a><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com<\/a>.\u00a0Twitter: @WhaleCottage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday Warwick wine estate launched its new Summer picnics, with a number of changes relative to last year.\u00a0 Earlier this week I was invited to a sneak preview of the changes, and was one of a panel of volunteer blogger tasters (with Nikki Dumas, Lesley Cox, Anel Grobler, Polly Howard, Cathy Marston, Maggie Mostert\u00a0and Hennie […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[124,20,31,21,19],"tags":[4502,6955,2791,7026,2881,3601,7717,32378,3635,7713,491,7722,7720,6488,5596,7712,7714,7719,3602,7710,7725,7736,7715,32372,274,7726,32376,6086,7709,7716,7723,1587,7721,374,3598,7724,32373,49,32382],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t