butler magazine 26
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Focus on travel, hospitality, accommodation, guesthouses, and every aspect of the service and tourism industry.TRANSCRIPT
www.butlermagazine.co.za
Franchising • Flavours • Floors
ButlerS e r v i n g t h e H o s p i t a l i t y & T r a v e l I n d u s t r i e s
Issue 26 R35 (incl. VAT)
®
65804 BUTLER.indd 1 29/08/2011 18:01
We all know that its not just people who like beds, its bedbugs, bacteria and microbes too. And this can become a real
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4 On reflection
6 Global Wrap
Chef Profile10 – Chef Tanja Kruger at the helm of Makaron Restaurant 61 – Ruben Riffel’s latest offering
Serious Stuff12 – Financial relief for restaurant owners 14 – Should we close the food chain?16 – Optimistic expectations from the hospitality industry for Summer18 – Food for thought20 – The consumer’s right to disclosure of information Switched On22 – Innovizion Africa’s role in the hospitality security industry
Butler Reviews24 – At odds with the Odd Cafe 25 – Vovo Telo’s appeal holds no zeal
On the Menu26 – Kleine Zalze’s Terroir restaurant wins in the annual Eat Out Awards
Main Attraction27 – Versatile all-in-one batter delivers taste and convenience
Cater This28 – Bringing back heart to food and service 28 – One&Only’s Summer Splash 29 – “I do” at the One&Only Cape Town
30 Thirsty Butler
Hospitality Interiors32 – Flooring Trends 38 – Taking the inside, out
Back of House43 – Five-star grading? 44 – Restaurants and the triple bottom line 46 – How do SA restaurant trends match up to trends Stateside? 48 – Guest satisfaction: the death of any business56 – Floored by Hygiene?
Travelling Butler50 – Remote Rwandan hideaway 53 – Saxon Hotel Skywalk wins Tubular category at Steel Awards 2011
Strong Women55 – Liz Eglington - Organic olive farmer
Green Welcome58 – Southern Sun Drakensberg: Leaders in environmental sustainability
Heritage61 – Kirstenbosch Manor House
62 Function Focus
Main Attraction
Green Welcome
Back of House
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Travelling Butler
Serious Stuff Flooring Trends
Cater This
Strong Women
Chef Profile Outdoor Furniture Trends
FRO
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Read Butler Magazine online by scanning here
25Butler Reviews
Heritage
61
page 4
Editor-in-Chief:
Rebecca Staniforth
082 455 1318
Sub-Editor:
Paola Chellew
Creative Director:
Bryan Maron
Website Design:
Design Bandits
Advertising Sales:
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Rebecca Staniforth
Contributors
Rebecca Staniforth, Abby Vorster, Simone
Falconer, Fiona Zerbst, Bianca Coelho Barata,
Paola Chellew, Brandon Bairstow-Klopper
Financial Team:
Debra James
Repro & Printing:
Burlington Dataprint
Distribution:
Tunleys
Publisher:
Rebecca Staniforth
Cover:
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page 4
After the exuberance and excitement of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, 2011 was a bit of an anti-climax for some of us. It doesn’t matter which industry you are in, it’s been tough. Having been the victim of fraud and identity
theft, I was definitely part of the doom and gloom set that predicted the year’s downturn in economy, which was of course happening globally. People were still reeling from the shock of not having become instant millionaires after the successful FIFA visit, which unfortunately did not boost the economy the way that was predicted. My own saga started when there was rapid decline in available funds. RMB was notified and they alerted the fraud division. The auditors moved in, along with lawyers, tax consultants, friends and peers within the industry who supported me in various ways. My financial manager had stolen my identity because I was naive enough to entrust her with access to my bank accounts.
Lesson number one: don’t share your banking pin code; lesson number two: always check the identity picture to make sure who you’re dealing with. The forensic audit is ongoing, SARS was flagged and it appears that the company is now stable.
Moody’s agency recently downgraded South Africa’s credit rating outlook and we could expect economic growth to be slower than ever in the year ahead. To top it all, on the 22nd November 2011 or ‘Black Tuesday’ as it is now known, the Protection of State Information Bill was passed. In theory, the bill provides that “any person who unlawfully discloses classified information in contravention of the Act is guilty of an offence, except where such disclosure is protected under the Protected Disclosures Act 26 of 2000”.
The latter sets out detailed procedures and steps for whistleblowers to follow when disclosing incompetence and corruption. So practically, it’s an effective way of muzzling the media. However, we have come a long way from the Black Wednesday of the past and looking back, we can be reassured by the fact that censorship and banning only strengthened this country’s resolve to fight for freedom. Media that is allowed to be free and critical forms an essential part of any democracy.
In this issue, we continue to uphold the strong ethos for sustainability and eco-awareness throughout the industry and we encourage and applaud those who have been awarded with excellence regarding their commitment to becoming environmentally sustainable.
Namibian ChefsAssociation
On Reflection
At the annual Imvelo Awards ceremony, organised by the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA), Brett Dungan, outgoing CEO, strongly commented on what is NOT sustainable:
“Systems of any sort without controls and management; meetings with no measurable outcomes; gearing beyond your ability to repay; public servants in fancy cars, flying in first class seats or buying private jets; huge payouts or settlements; policy that hinders private sector making profits; unskilled people and people not doing their jobs; complacency; bribery and corruption; anyone putting in less than they take out; reporting false statistics; theft of any sort; meteoritic promotions; compliance without reward; taxation to cover inefficiencies.” The message is loud and clear; if we want to live in an ethical society, we have to have the courage of our convictions and we have to make a stand together in order to initiate change.
We also take a look at the galloping food prices and the impact of the impending Walmart-Massmart merger and we could be rejoicing at the prospect of healthy competition bringing the cost of food down and therefore making consumers happy at last. The trick is to shop around and look for the best value your money can buy, or grow your own vegetables and support the local farmers’ markets...by the same token we should also be vocal about the service standards (or lack thereof) of restaurants and food franchises (pg 18) thereby ensuring that good service and commitment to excellent standards prevails from the top levels of management through to staff.
In conclusion, the business choices I have made in the past have given me the courage to move forward and I have had to put new marketing platforms in to survive the technological advances of the publishing industry. In the process of dealing with the previously mentioned identity theft, I had to make the toughest decision of my life: which magazine was I to keep.....Butler or IE Magazine. I chose Butler because I am passionate about food, passionate about travel, passionate about sustainability within the hospitality industry and most of all I enjoy the people that operate within it.
That only leaves me to thank all those who have supported me through this ordeal: my printers, mailing house, my son who came back from the UK to help me get the business back on track, the pool of talented journalists who were commissioned to write, and last but not least my advertisers and mentors in the industry who have understood the vision of the new Butler Magazine.
... if we want to live in an ethical society, we have
to have the courage of our convictions and we
have to make a stand together in order to
initiate change
page 5
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Brett Dungan: Outgoing FEDHASA prsident
The agreement will see Hilton Worldwide enter Lebanon by converting the 195-room Habtoor Grand and the 183-room Metropolitan Palace
to the Hilton Beirut Habtoor Grand and Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace. Both hotels are located in the heart of the dynamic city of Beirut and are expected to open in early 2012.
The companies also signed an agreement to develop the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, the first luxury resort by the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand in Dubai. Located on the iconic Palm Jumeirah, with unrivalled views of the coastline and some of the Emirate’s most famous landmarks, the 324-room hotel will feature signature restaurants, a luxury health club and spa. The resort is due to open at the end of 2013.
“Beirut is one of the liveliest cities in the world and a leading gateway destination between the east and west. We have been looking forward to entering Lebanon and are very pleased that we are able to do so with this calibre of properties,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, president and chief executive officer, Hilton Worldwide. “Equally, Waldorf Astoria’s heritage and prestige is a perfect fit for Dubai and it is exactly the right time for this luxury brand to join the expanding number of properties we have planned in the UAE. Today’s announcement amply demonstrates our ongoing commitment to growing in the Middle East and consolidates our position as a leading hospitality provider in the region.”
International hotel partnership for Dubai
Caesarstone, the world’s premier quartz surfaces, encourages students to ‘re-establish a healthy relationship to our
planet’ by designing The Good Food Arena. The 2012 brief was conceptualised by Lisa Younger of Activate Space. Open to all students of interior design and architecture, Caesarstone’s design brief for the 2012 Award is to conceptualise an interior space allowing for the following key activities:
GROW – plant, harvest, nurture, prepareCOOK – demonstrate, perform, interact, compete,
educateTASTE – balance, nourish, revitalise, rejuvenate,
share, connect, inspire, repair RECEYCLE – re-use, re-generate
The Good Food Arena must make imaginative and innovative use of the Caesarstone product with an ample colour palette.
As always, the prize for the winning student and lecturer is a comprehensive 5-day trip to Caesarea, Israel, the home of Caesarstone, valued at R60 000.
Caesarstone Student Designer of the year 2012: The Good Food Arena
La Marina Foods started in 2003 in a humble factory in Strydom Park with a handful of product lines, but a rapid growth period
necessitated the move to much bigger premises in Modderfontein, Johannesburg. The central location – with quick access from Sandton, Pretoria and the East Rand –means that it is easy to get to, not only on Saturday mornings, but also during the week.
La Marina, one of South Africa’s most respected suppliers of delicatessen foods, is a one-stop shop for hotel chefs, caterers and home cooks alike. If there is anything you can’t find, owners Kirsten Jooste and Ilona Dresselhaus will source it for you, from anywhere in the world. “We have a love for food and people and our service, good attitude and excellent product range are what set us apart,” says Ilona.
After you’re done browsing the shelves and deli section, have a bite to eat at the restaurant. La Marina is renowned for its seafood and sticks to sustainable choices, wherever possible. They stock fresh and frozen seafood and shellfish from all around the world and the sushi is always a good choice. They also have other options such as wasabi Loch Duart salmon
strips and chips, calamari heads and tentacles; even a seafood platter for two.
A non-negotiable for La Marina is quality. Although they work with exclusive agencies around the world, they sometimes choose a local supplier over an international one, if they deem the standard to be higher. The feather in their cap came earlier this year when La Marina passed Pick n Pay’s stringent SAFS audit – which looks at things like hygiene and traceability of products – so that they can now supply the supermarket chain.
A delicious history of La Marina FoodsGlobal Wrap
page 6
Grande Roche Hotel in the beautiful Paarl Valley has become a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World ™
(SLH) bringing the brand back to South Africa by becoming the only South African member of this prestigious organization.
Effective October 1, 2011, this brings the hotel firmly back into both the local and the international tourism market as a destination of note. The criteria for being a member is to be small, luxurious and independently owned, with personalised service tailored to the guests’ specific needs and Grande Roche has ticked all the boxes. Guests enjoy a number of benefits through the membership, making the hotel a highly desirable destination.
Set in the winelands of the Paarl Valley, guests enjoy comfort, service excellence and luxury as well as magnificent views. The hotel has a fresh new approach and the dynamic management team has effected many changes over the past few months. Whether it is luxury in the ultimate sense of the word with its glorious rooms – all of which open on to the legendary gardens- or its world renowned cuisine with Chef Roland, what sets it apart is the lively and energetic atmosphere that pervades this historic 18th Century homestead.
The advent of a new General Manager, Anja Bosken, has brought about a new enthusiasm and it is due to her efforts as well as location and quality that Grande Roche Hotel secured the coveted membership.
Says Bosken: “We are very honoured to be bringing this prestigious brand name back to South Africa. This membership allows Grande Roche Hotel to be fully represented in the international market as SLH offers strong global sales and marketing support with its 520 hotel members in over 70 countries. Being a member brings a new dimension back into the hotel, adds impetus to the local tourism market and encourages more international visitors to the country. Currently we are their only member in South Africa, a region that they would like to grow in time to come, and we are delighted to be able to assist on that level.”
Grande Roche Hotel becomes a member of Small Luxury Hotels
37386 Training Dept Ad_REP.pdf 1 2011/12/02 10:28 AM
November saw the launch of South Africa’s new fast food brand Chickin Tyme, held at its inaugural store in Pineslopes Shopping
centre, Fourways, Gauteng.The continued success of the Pizza Perfect and
Burger Perfect franchised brands over the past 22 years fuelled an appetite to explore the “flame-grilled chicken” sector of fast food and led to the launch of the group’s brand extension – Chickin Tyme. “Chicken is by far Africa’s most consumed staple protein and with consumers consciously moving towards healthy eating, we decided to pursue the “flame-grilled chicken” route as opposed to entering the fried chicken market,” confirms Michael Solomou CEO of Pizza Perfect (Pty) Ltd. Given that more and more people are finding themselves racing against time and are faced with the challenges posed in preparing nutritionally balanced meals, Chickin Tyme’s emphasis is on fulfilling and satisfying a need in the marketplace for a balanced alternative to “fast food on the run” and conventional home cooking.
Chickin Tyme’s aim is to promote a healthy and balanced meal at an affordable and competitive market-related price.
New healthy fast food brand launched After a testing day of written exams, blind tastings and a practical assessment where finalists had to skillfully decant an aged
wine, and select and present wines to guests, pairing them with items on a menu the finalists were seeing for the first time, Joakim Hansi Blackadder finally prevailed, to win the inaugural The Bollinger Exceptional Wine Service Award 2011. Wayve Kolevsohn was second, followed by Greg Mutambe, sommelier at the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa, where the finals were held.
Ginette de Fleuriot Cape Wine Master, The Bollinger Exceptional Wine Service Award organiser and one of the judges, is very pleased with the overall results: “Although unforeseen circumstances meant that two finalists (Josephine Gutentoft and Francis Krone) had to withdraw, we were pleased that Greg, as fifth-placed semi-finalist, could then compete. The high standards attained by Joakim and the other finalists have set the benchmark for aspirant sommeliers. We look forward to an
In the quest to find KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) ‘Best Mixologist’, particpants in the inaugural Regional 5-Star Reserve Classic
Cocktail Competition, sponsored by the Reserve Portfolio and The Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga recently, five of KZN’s top hotels each entered two of their best bartenders to compete head to head, in mixing the most exotic and innovative cocktails.
Winner, Calvin Foyle from Fairmont, was joined on the podium by Tevesha Pather from The Hilton, Durban and the Oyster Box’s, John Shabalala, who already has a number of Mixologist titles to his name.
With a selection of prizes, cash, shopping vouchers and a floating trophy up for grabs, the 10 contestants each made two identical cocktails in five minutes to win the judges’ vote. The judging panel comprised the Food and Beverage Managers from each participating hotel - The Fairmont in Zimbali,
Southern Sun Elangeni Baristas, Ayanda Ngidi and Khanyisa Fica, both walked away from the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Regional Barista
Championships with heads held high at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping recently.
Out of 37 entrants, the dynamic female duo were placed in the top six, giving them automatic entrance into the National Barista Championships, representing KZN at Hostex in Cape Town in March 2012. The Elangeni was the only hotel to have two Baristas finish within the Top Six of the competition.
Both entrants admitted that ‘the competition was tough’, with an audience of 60 looking on and eight judges scoring them on technique, taste, presentation and knowledge, over the preparation and service of 12 drinks and explaining the process as they went along.
increased number of entrants for The Bollinger Exceptional Wine Service Award 2012 and wider representation from South Africa’s premier tourist regions. Also, we trust that this Award will act as a catalyst for the hospitality industry to expand training facilities and support local sommeliers”.
The first prize for winning The Bollinger Exceptional Wine Service Award is a trip to the House of Bollinger Champagne in France. This includes the airfare and accommodation in France.
The Hilton, The Oyster Box, The Beverly Hills and Sibaya Hotel & Casino.
The Reserve Portfolio (from Brandhouse) sponsored the event and all the spirits including Ciroc Vodka,Tanqueray No.Ten Gin, Smirnoff Black Vodka and Don Julio Tequila, which the contestants had to use to blend in innovative ways in order to take home the title. Organisers plan to hold the event annually.
General Manager of the Elangeni, Mike Jackson, says that he is “incredibly proud” of the results. “The Elangeni has a reputation for making great coffee, but this win just spurs us on to even greater heights: to train more Baristas, upgrade our machines and make the Elangeni the place to go for the BEST coffee in town.”
Bollinger Exceptional Wine Service Award 2011 goes to Joakim Hansi Blackadder
The Oyster Box hosts Five-Star bartending competition
Elangeni baristas shine at KZN champs
Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream™ is proud to announce that they have officially opened a new shop in Melrose Arch,
bringing a little piece of ice cream heaven to shoppers and visitors. The shop, which opened in partnership with franchisee Zaid Surtee from Alkara93 can be found on The High Street area of Melrose Arch.
Haagen-Daz at Melrose Arch
Global Wrap
page 8
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For Majeka House’s passionate owners, Lloyd van der Merwe and Karine Dequeker-Van der Merwe, the arrival of talented chef Tanja Kruger marks the beginning of a new chapter. ‘We would like Makaron to be perceived as a restaurant with rooms attached, rather than as a hotel restaurant’, comments Karine. With good food as a focal point, the exquisitely appointed rooms and two new suites that are at the heart of Majeka House are excellent reasons to check in for a stolen night or a
proper holiday.When Tanja Kruger was interviewed for the position of head chef,
she could hardly believe her luck when Karine mentioned that she would like to see sweetbreads on the menu – always. ‘It’s a pleasure working with owners who have a deep appreciation and respect for gourmet ingredients,’ says Tanja.
Tanja previously enjoyed a successful career at Hunter’s Country House, a Relais & Chateaux property on the Garden Route. Winner of the Chaine de Rotisseurs Young Chef of the Year 2008 and a current
Chef Tanja Kruger, at the helm of Makaron Restaurant
page 10
It’s all change at Majeka House, the exclusive boutique hotel in the Stellenbosch winelands, a region gaining
global recognition for its sophisticated food and wine culture. This small luxury hotel’s French-inspired
restaurant, Makaron, has undergone a sophisticated makeover and M Bar, a cocktail bar and lounge oozing
glamour and witty references, is a delightful new addition with an excellent list of local wines and MCC offered by the glass and an extensive line-up of local
craft beers and refreshing cocktails.
Chef Profile
AA Quality Assured Accommodation (AAQAA) is an endorsement
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member of the South African Culinary Olympic team, Tanja is no stranger to cooking in the Cape. Her CV includes stints at Lanzerac Hotel, RadissonBlu Hotel Waterfront, Five Flies Restaurant and the recent launch of deHuguenot Estate. ‘I am a keen follower of the Slow Food Movement, always searching for fresh, locally grown, ethically produced ingredients to inspire my menus. The winelands, with its many specialised producers and artisan suppliers, is a fantastic place to be a chef!’
Tuned in to the provenance and quality of every ingredient in her kitchen, Tanja is committed to farm-to-fork eating. Grass-fed, free-range beef and organic chicken is sourced from Angus McIntosh at nearby Spier, summer berries come from Hillcrest Berry Orchards on the Helshoogte Pass, and olive oil is supplied by the Olive Shed at Tokara. Under the guidance of Tanja, Majeka’s traditional French kitchen garden has just been replanted with radishes, beetroot, carrots, celery, varieties of lettuce and plenty of herbs commonly used in her cooking.
Tanja is particularly proud of the resident baker, who produces pastries, breads, cakes and petit fours throughout the day.
Makaron, like its namesake, is visually stimulating and beautiful – the ideal space in which to savour food made with great care and respect. Contemporary furniture, reworked antiques, playful elements and exquisite
design details, such as the original, handmade David Walters tableware, sets the tone for French-based classics with a thoroughly modern twist. The constantly evolving menu is served at both lunch and dinner, and in the evenings guests may also indulge in a reasonably priced, four-course tasting menu.Summer options include starters such as fresh pea risotto, garlic froth and smoked olive tapenade or pan-fried sweetbreads with muscadel reduction and cauliflower puree; mains, such as duck egg ravioli with fresh artichoke and white asparagus and truffle or beef rib-eye with foie gras butter and fine green beans.
In tune with current trends, everything on the menu is paired to a wine and a craft beer making for lively conversation and comparisons around the table.
Tanja loves making soufflé, which is why a coffee soufflé with peanut butter ice cream currently headlines a list of irresistible desserts that also includes Valrhona chocolate tart with naartjie, pears and grapefruit sorbet and a cheese plate of local finds served with homemade plum paste and lavash.
In addition to the sumptuous breakfast on offer in Makaron, there is also a lighter, leaner all-day menu of what Tanja likes to call ‘floating food’, which is available as in-room dining and for snacking on poolside or in between spa treatments.
page 12
Serious Stuff
Restaurants are a popular choice for people looking to enter into the small business market as ‘the need’ is already established within the minds of the consuming public.
However, for this reason, the restaurant industry is also very competitive and restaurant owners need to differentiate themselves within the marketplace in order to achieve longer-term success. It is this constant, competitive fluctuation that has
resulted in traditional lending sources deciding to limit the access to finance for many restaurant owners, making it harder to invest in future growth.
For the first time in South Africa, there is now an alternative funding solution for small to medium businesses and restaurants in particular. The
Financial relief for restaurant
ownersThe Restaurant industry is fast-paced and ever changing, which makes it dynamic but also extremely challenging.
Cape Town based financial company, Retail Capital, offers South African Restaurateurs a finance option that is able to serve their needs for flexible, convenient and instant access to capital that enables them to respond and adapt to changes within the marketplace as and
when needed.
By Geraldine Anderson
ISA Hospitality provides a turn-key solution, taking you from conceptual design to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, or supply of daily requirements. We offer a service to procure, supply, deliver and commission a broad range of products and services to Hospitality and Catering establishments, and Remote site accommodation throughout Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. Products and services are provided through our administration, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution facilities based in Johannesburg, as well as our branches in the main centres in South Africa. Why use ISA Hospitality?• We remove the hassle involved in procuring Hospitality products
• We can offer services from conceptual design, through to installation and commissioning
• We offer value for money, through our in-house manufacturing, import and distribution infrastructure
• We match product specifications to fit your grade and type of establishment
• We make it simple for you to find the correct products through
our consultants, catalogues, web site; and comprehensive lifestyle showroom
• We make it simple to order, by telephone; internet or our secure on-line store
• We consolidate any size order, and deliver anywhere in Africa
Tel: 011 312 2292: Ask for Hospitality sales | www.isagroup.co.za
ISA HOSPITALITY
Manufacture of all hotel linen & accessories/ hotel furniture/kitchen & dining/ amenities & accessories/ sundry products
Are you spending too much time on searching for products to run your establishment?
product, called a Business Cash Advance, allows small business owners to leverage an asset that the banks do not even consider; their future debit and credit card turnover.
Simply put, Retail Capital will buy an amount of future card turnover, for a discounted price paid immediately. An agreed percentage of the future debit and credit card transactions are then passed over, until the total amount purchased is realised.
Each advance is tailored to the specific needs, capabilities and turnover of the business, with no personal financial surety required from business owners. As the pay over is based on turnover, it ebbs and flows with the business cycles, ensuring that pay over is more affordable than fixed credit instalments.
“There is nothing greater than to wake up in the morning with a great idea on how to make more profit, cut costs and increase turnover. In this economy, accessing excess capital fast is not what it used to be. This is where Retail Capital came in, and they have made our life a lot easier” says Oscar Kotze, owner of Beluga Restaurant in Cape Town.
Applicants will be required to supply merchant information detailing card turnover and contractual agreement, recent bank statements and a
copy of the mortgage/lease agreement. In addition, key references will be requested. Once these documents are received, applications can be processed and money dispersed within as little as two - three weeks.
For restaurant owners specifically, a business cash advance can assist them to manoeuvre their restaurants through obstacles such as the need for new equipment, additional staffing requirements, renovations and revamps or simply to assist them through slower turnover months due to decreased patronage. In this way, restaurant owners can react to the needs of the market effectively and efficiently ensuring that they remain both competitive and profitable.
Food inflation is a fact of life, it seems, and high oil and fuel prices have put the squeeze on farmers, along with a relatively weak rand. At the moment, it sits at 7,5% but is expected to reach about 10% in December. According to Stanlib economists Kevin Lings and Laura Jones, if food inflation rises over 10% from end 2010 to end 2011, and the rand weakens to R7,70 to the dollar, we’re looking at a possible inflation rate of at least 6% by year-end. Not something consumers want to contemplate.
Why the price crisis?Globally, food prices have risen about 50% over the past two years, according to the International Monetary Fund’s food price index – and as long as supply pressures continue, prices will only go up. Although natural disasters and unpredictable weather can’t be controlled, governments can
rethink how to look after food producers, for example. Currently, agricultural subsidies, such as import taxes and tariffs, together
with the manipulation of oil supplies, are preventing poorer countries from being globally competitive. Barriers to free trade are certainly something to be addressed.
Here at home, government can make sure that the Competition Commission prevents food monopolies and punish price fixing. Food manufacturers have been found guilty of collusion in the past couple of years, but they can absorb fines fairly easily.
Our food producers, on the other hand, suffer by being squeezed from all sides. “Government needs to protect our farmers from imports,” argues Willie Oosthuizen, cost accountant for Supreme Poultry. “If we could expand we could supply food for much of Africa and generate some foreign currency.”
He argues, too that government should reduce the taxes and levies on diesel. “A farmer who buys diesel for his combine or tractor shouldn’t have to contribute to the road-accident fund to the same extent as a truck or road vehicle,” he says.
As a farmer, you cannot set the price of products in the market. As farming co-operatives have declined, farmers have lost a lot of bulk-buying bargaining power. Oosthuizen believes farmers should be able to make use of economies of scale and increase their capacity, generating enough profit and cash flow to keep their businesses viable.
page 14
Should we close the food chain?We all know that a few food items can cost an arm, if not a leg, at the till-point these days. And while the well-off have perhaps not been that badly affected, the middle classes have been hit hard, the poor even harder. Statistics SA has already shown how drastically prices have risen. Bread has increased by R1 a loaf but margarine has increased by more than R7 and meat by over R15, on average.
The food price war
Serious Stuff
By Fiona Zerbst
page 15
He also feels that government should help farmers access alternative fuels – although it’s worrying that the increased use of biofuels will put pressure on sugar cane, vegetable oils and corn, which are needed to produce biofuels.
Market speculationThe markets are also partly to blame for the current state of affairs, as investment in commodity futures drives up food prices. Locally, the SAVI White Maize (South African Volatility Index) constructs a three-month forward-looking index that monitors market sentiment in the white maize market: investors can estimate a potential price movement in a given time frame and either speculate or hedge, depending on volatility.
Andrew Hogg, campaigns editor at Christian Aid, a British NGO, has pointed out that the rise of food prices has mirrored the way investment has flowed into the individual commodities futures markets. And it is pension funds, not ‘cowboy’ investors, which are largely to blame, thanks to the US’s deregulation of commodities trading in indices in 2000.
These speculators have no interest in the physical goods traded and they dominate the markets, whereas those with direct commercial interests in food production used to be the main market participants. Markets are no longer responding to the fundamentals of supply and demand as they are not interested in how producers hedge their risks – they are simply out to make money. Hogg says it is ‘impossible’ to ban this kind of investment now, but consequences will be severe for developing nations, unless there is substantial investment in sustainable agricultural practices. Unless there are serious market reforms, this speculation will ensure the global food crisis lasts.
What about retailers?According to Chris Gilmour, an analyst at Absa Investments, retailers are not to blame as they operate off low profit margins and they are also not guilty of collusion. “Our retailers are just about as globally competitive as they can be – it is the manufacturers who are not, in my opinion, globally competitive. The retailers put upwards of 90% of the products on their shelves from local suppliers, so they are just passing on food price increases from the manufacturers,” he argues.
The Walmart-Massmart merger is throwing the cat among the proverbial pigeons, as Walmart will obviously compete with the ‘big four’ – Shoprite, Spar, Pick ’n Pay and Woolworths. Competition is healthy as prices should be driven lower, which will be better for consumers.
Brian Leroni, group corporate affairs executive for Massmart, says Massmart-Walmart expects to procure about R60bn in merchandise during the next five years – this includes food, obviously. The idea is to build the food retail business through Makro, which is currently rolling out a fresh food offering, Game Foodco and Cambridge Food. “We believe we’ll contribute positively to competition in the retail food market,” Leroni says
He says the company will use Walmart’s experience in countries like India to establish a direct-to-farm programme with emerging farmers as part of the fresh supply chain, although this will account for only a portion of its fresh produce procurement.
“Massmart-Walmart will establish a R100m supplier development fund that will develop and integrate emerging farmers into our supply chain, leveraging local supplier export opportunities and developing the competitiveness of local suppliers,” Leroni says. That sounds like good news for farmers. Oosthuizen believes it will be imperative for retailers to support local producers and stop important meat products, though, in order to help farmers. He warns that if you import 1kg of chicken from Brazil you’re supporting both meat and maize producers in Brazil, as a chicken consumers about 2kg of feed to produce 1kg of meat.
He suggests that supporting the local meat industry will have the knock-on effect of creating greater demand for local crops. So retailers really have a duty to create and secure jobs throughout the supply chain and related industries.
What can consumers do?We seem to be helpless agents watching our hard-earned cash disappear, but we do have collective purchasing power, and the first thing we can do is vote with our wallets. Shop around and refuse to pay for overpriced goods. We should also be aware that some suppliers are reducing quantities of products without reducing packaging size, selling the items at the same or higher prices. When shopping, always compare volumes of products and be cautious about purchasing. We need to shop smartly to keep the pressure on suppliers and make sure competition works the way it’s supposed to.
We should also be supporting local producers – farmers’ markets are great sources of affordable, value-for-money product. If you don’t grow your own fruit and vegetables, support your nearest local farmers.
At least the Reserve Bank has kept the repo rate at 5,5%, giving cash-strapped consumers a breathing space, for now. One we sorely need.
page 16
Optimistic expectations from the hospitality industry for summer
“With winter behind us and the industry showing early signs of hope, it is important that we embrace the arrival of the summer season with renewed energy and a positive outlook,” - Dirk Elzinga, Chairman of FEDHASA Cape.
Speaking at their annual review and media briefing today, Chairman of FEDHASA Cape, Dirk Elzinga said that Cape Town’s tourism industry has experienced one of the worst years ever recorded, which has been influenced by the double dip recession in Europe affecting core tourism markets, as well as by an increase in Cape Town’s hotel inventory ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. On average the revenue per available room over the past 12 months is reported to have
been 10% less than in 2010, indicative of the recessive period. “It is however not all ‘doom and gloom’,” comments Elzinga. “When
comparing revenue per available room in October 2010 with October 2011, there is an increase of 5% which is indicative of early signs of recovery. General Managers at various establishments have reiterated this to me over the past few weeks and the majority are anticipating a better season.” He continues, “With lead time for holidays - including long-haul holidays - becoming significantly shorter than in the past few years, the situation can only improve.
Expectations by the hospitality industry for the season ahead are thus moderately optimistic. This optimism is further fuelled by the fact that two new long haul carriers recently added Cape Town to their network: Air France and the Swiss based carrier Edelweiss. Lufthansa, after their absence during the winter period also resumed services to Cape Town. This will certainly have a positive effect on the number of international arrivals.”
Elzinga also said that a number of major events held in Cape Town during 2011 had a significant impact on tourism and visitor numbers to Cape Town – especially domestic tourism markets. According to Elzinga, the number of annual events held in the Western Cape throughout the year, such as Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour, Two Oceans Marathon, Cape Town Jazz Festival, J&B Met, Volvo Ocean Race, Knysna Oyster Festival and the Cape Epic contribute substantially towards attracting regular visitors to the Province.
“It is encouraging to note the increase in domestic tourism, which is also promoted through hosting regular events. Last week saw the CTICC given the green light for its expansion programme, and we are confident that this exciting new development will facilitate an increase in the number of national and international events being held in Cape Town over coming years which will, in turn, fill the increased hotel inventory available. We trust that within the next two years that occupancy levels will return to what they were two to three years ago.” says Elzinga.
Cape Town hotel prices on a par with international marketThrough the somewhat dismal winter season, there were many ‘experts’ in and outside of the industry offering advice on how best to recover
Dirk Elzinga
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from the recession and how to attract more tourists. There was also a perception of Cape Town being more expensive, on a global scale, than other comparable cities.
To gain clarity on the contributing factors that lead to this perception, FEDHASA Cape conducted a survey over a 30 week period comparing hotels in eight international cities, all of which are convention destinations and none that are capital cities.
“The outcome first and foremost is that in terms of pricing, Cape Town is on par with all of these cities which is good news. Secondly, the analysis confirmed that Cape Town has a significantly wider variety of inventory and room types available than most other cities, offering enormous choice for visitors across all price ranges,” reports Elzinga. “Four star hotels in Cape Town are particularly competitively priced – some 20% more reasonably than their international counterparts - and the majority of our five star hotels are priced on par with their international competitors. The majority of them took the decision to try and retain their average room rate over the recession period to avoid a price war, although from time to time there were and still are many special offers available in the market.”
Elzinga further explains that hotels worldwide have adopted one of two strategies to cope with the recession - either cutting rates to
compete on price, or retaining their room rates and accepting a loss on occupancy. Says Elzinga, “It is apparent that those who retained their rates are able to recover faster than those who had decided to cut their rates. Smaller establishments are finding themselves in a better position to recover faster, given that they have less overheads.” FEDHASA Cape focuses on attracting and retaining young talentConcluding his address, Dirk Elzinga said that throughout 2011, FEDHASA Cape has placed particular attention on the importance of involving South African youth in the hospitality industry. “We have placed more emphasis on our FEDHASA Youth initiative, creating more networking opportunities for young professionals and reaching out to schools – including high schools - with the aim of informing learners of the benefits and opportunities available to young people in the hospitality industry.
“We are working closely with government, especially local government, to make them understand that in tough times they should avoid introducing additional hurdles to small and medium enterprises in the hospitality sector, and rather need to ease the pressure by offering assistance and simplifying procedures, particularly as it relates to small businesses that need this assistance to keep afloat.”
After a few years, he went to Port Elizabeth and started one of the first Italian restaurants there and his son, my uncle Nilo, carried on the tradition by running Bella Napoli restaurant for over 25 years, which is virtually unheard of nowadays, as the statistics show that 90% of all independently owned restaurants fail within the
first five years of their existence. To what did they owe their success? It’s actually pretty basic: they were the first to arrive and the last to go home, the food was consistently good because they
sourced good produce and their staff was well trained, well paid and happy in their jobs. My Uncle had the gift of the gab and was a jovial and friendly host together with his wife Maria, and they welcomed their guests as they would welcome family into their home. But with the passage of time, new trends in the form of restaurant franchises started to become more popular and offered opportunities to entrepreneurs wanting to start their own business. It must be said that franchising has contributed greatly to South Africa’s economy. Even in tough economic times, people still have to eat.
So the concept of food franchises is quite well established in South Africa and a couple of factors make us stand out from the international crowd: the first is that about 90% of our brands are locally developed, e.g. Steers and Nandos, and this was out of necessity, because in the 70s and 80s when franchising started to take root, trade sanctions forced many South Africans to come up with their own ideas instead of depending on the international brands. The second is that the Franchise Association of Southern Africa (FASA) kept their members in the know regarding overseas trends and developments. Their role is to define franchising and to ensure that all franchises stick to the franchise business principles accepted all over the world. FASA also promotes the advantages of franchising to entrepreneurs as well as the public at large. So what is the secret to having a successful franchise business?
For the most part, franchising is not an easy opportunity to get rich in a short space of time. It requires the franchisee to be hard-working, confident, able to interact with people on all levels, able to
page 18
Food for thought: Where franchises fall shortBy Paola Chellew
My grandfather was an Italian chef who came to South Africa in the sixties and joined the impressive line-up of brilliant cooks at the illustrious Carlton Hotel in the Johannesburg CBD in Commissioner Street.
Serious Stuff
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handle challenges and conflicts and comfortable with risk-taking as well as being confined to the franchisor’s rules and restrictions. To top it all, Kobus Oosthuizen, former chairman of FASA and publisher of Franchise Warehouse said in a recent interview in the Sunday Times Newspaper (Sept 25 2011) that high rentals were the biggest threat to small retailed businesses. In addition, the shocking high cost of electricity is currently causing some franchisers to restructure their business models. Having mentioned all this, people however still need to eat, irrespective of the downturn in the economy and FASA maintains that the more established brands have managed to maintain their performance. Most people are still eating out, but are choosing the food franchises instead of the pricier, upmarket restaurants.
From a consumer’s point of view, I know that I definitely have more than a couple of favourite franchise restaurants that I revisit time and time again, like the Mugg & Bean in Killarney, Johannesburg, who make the best On The Go Breakfast ever and at under R30! Or the Col’Cacchio restaurant at the BluBird Centre in Atholl, my family’s Friday evening spot and one of the best pizzerias in town. The reasons why we are loyal to certain franchises are simple: consistent commitment to standards, from the food, to the service to the managerial presence.
Innovation is also a factor: The MacDonald’s brand has survived through booms and recessions only because of its Madonna-like tendency to recreate itself. After receiving bad press regarding the unhealthy aspect of the food served, it was one of the first franchise
restaurants to post nutritional information about its menu and now offers healthier options in addition to the usual bill of fare. But concept can be left in the hands of the franchisor. It is up to the franchisee to make a success of his business by emphasising his dedication to the brand by producing good food, serving it with a smile and being a hands-on manager.
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T he Consumer Protection Act aims to promote consumer activism, by making provision for the accreditation of consumer groups tasked with lodging complaints on behalf of consumers, as well as making available support for activities, such as consumer advice, education, publications, research and alternative dispute resolution through mediation or conciliation.
Section 22 The Consumer’s right to information in plain and understandable language: The producer of a notice, document or visual representation that is required, in terms of this Act or any other law, to be produced, provided or displayed to a consumer must produce, provide or display that notice, document or visual representation-
(a) in the form prescribed in terms of this Act or any other legislation, if any, for that notice, document or visual representation; or
(b) in plain language, if no form has been prescribed for that notice, document or visual representation.
For the purposes of this Act, a notice, document or visual representation is in plain language if it is reasonable to conclude that an ordinary consumer of the class of persons for whom the notice, document or visual representation is intended, with average literacy skills and minimal experience as a consumer of the relevant goods or services, could be expected to understand the content, significance and import of the notice,
document or visual representation without undue effort, having regard to-(a) the context, comprehensiveness and consistency of the notice,
document or visual representation;(b) the organisation, form and style of the notice, document or visual
representation;(c) the vocabulary, usage and sentence structure of the notice, document
or visual representation; and(d) the use of any illustrations, examples, headings or other aids to
reading and understanding.This Section applies to menus, special boards, promotional posters or
pamphlets sent out or given to clientsThe menus, special boards, promotional posters or pamphlets of a
restaurant need to be in plain and simple language. Regardless of the customer’s background, he or she must be able to understand the menu, the special board or pamphlet. He or she must be able to understand the implications.
Section 23: Disclosure of price of goods or services:The restaurant must not display any goods for sale without displaying the price in relation to those goods.
The restaurant is not required to display a price for any goods that are displayed predominately as a form of advertisement of the restaurant or if the goods or services in an area within the restaurant’s premises to which the public does not ordinarily have access.
A price is adequately displayed if a written indication of the price, expressed in the currency of the Republic is annexed or affixed to, written, printed, stamped or located upon, or otherwise applied to the goods or to any band, ticket, covering, label, package, reel, shelf or other thing used in connection with the goods or on which the goods are mounted for display or exposed for sale, in any way represented in a manner from which it may reasonably be inferred that the price represented is a price applicable to the goods or services in question; or published in relation to the goods in a catalogue, brochure, circular or similar form of publication available to that consumer, or to the public generally if-
(i) a time is specified in the
The consumer’s right to disclosure
of informationBy Biana Coelho Barata Associate, Goldman Judin Inc.
Serious Stuff
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catalogue, brochure, circular or similar form of publication as the time after which the goods may not be sold at that price, and that time has not yet passed; or
(ii) in any other case, the catalogue, brochure, circular or similar form of publication is dated, and in the circumstances may reasonably be regarded as not out of date.
a supplier must not require a consumer to pay a price for any goods or services-
(a) higher than the displayed price for those goods or services; or(b) if more than one price is concurrently displayed, higher than the
lower or lowest of the prices so displayed.If a price that was once displayed has been fully covered and obscured
by a second displayed price, that second price must be regarded as the displayed price.
If a price as displayed contains an inadvertent and obvious error, the supplier is not bound by it after-
(a) correcting the error in the displayed price; and(b) taking reasonable steps in the circumstances to inform consumers
to whom the erroneous price may have been displayed of the error and the correct price.
A supplier is not bound by a price displayed in relationship to any goods or services if an unauthorised person has altered, defaced, covered, removed or obscured the price displayed or authorised by the supplier.
If, in addition to displaying a price in relation to any goods or services, a supplier has advertised or displayed a placard or similar device announcing that prices are, will be or have been reduced by-
(a) a monetary value, generally or in relationship to any particular goods or services, the displayed price must be regarded as being the price immediately displayed in relationship to the goods or services, minus the announced monetary reduction; or
(b) a percentage value, generally or in relationship to any particular goods or services, the displayed price must be regarded as being the price immediately displayed in relationship to the goods or services, minus an amount determined by multiplying that price by the percentage shown, unless the supplier has applied two or more prices immediately to the goods or services concerned,
and the difference between the highest and lower or lowest of those applied prices is equivalent to the advertised or placarded
reduction in price.The requirements in terms of Section 24 must be applied
to the pricing of all goods in a restaurant, whether such prices are displayed on a menu, on pamphlets, flyers,
special boards or on any other promotional form.
Section 24: Product labelling and trade descriptions:Trade descriptions refer to any description,
statement or other direct or indirect indication relating to the number, quantity, measure, weight or gauge of any goods2902.
It further refers to the ingredients of which any goods consist or material of which any goods are made, the place or country of origin of any goods and the mode of manufacturing or producing of any goods.
A trade description as referred to above will apply to goods in the restaurant industry if it is contained in a sign, advertisement, catalogue, brochure, circular, wine list, invoice, business letter, business paper or other commercial communication.
The aforementioned trade descriptions may not mislead the customer. The trade descriptions must be truthful. Section 26: Sale Records:A supplier of goods or services must provide a written record of each transaction to the consumer to whom any goods or services are supplied.
This record in the restaurant industry includes slips/receipts given to customers and these slips/receipts must include at least the following information: • The supplier’s full name, or registered business name, and VAT registration
number, if any;• the address of the premises at which, or from which, the goods or services
were supplied;• the date on which the transaction occurred;• a name or description of any goods or services supplied or to be supplied;• the unit price of any particular goods or services supplied or to be
supplied;• the quantity of any particular goods or services supplied or to be supplied;• the total price of the transaction, before any applicable taxes;• the amount of any applicable taxes; and• the total price of the transaction, including any applicable taxes.
Section 28: Identification of deliveries, Installers and others:Whenever a person is engaged in direct marketing in person at the premises of a consumer, or performing any services for a consumer at any such premises, or delivering any goods to or installing any goods for a consumer, at any such premises, that person must-
(a) visibly wear or display a badge or similar identification device that satisfies any prescribed standards; or
(b) provide suitable identification on request by the consumer.All waiters, waitresses, mangers, or any person conducting direct
marketing on behalf of the restaurant at the premises of the restaurant. All of the aforementioned staff must wear or a display a badge
satisfying the standards of the restaurant industry.
In Part 5: The Consumer’s Right to Fair and Responsible Marketing.
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It certainly attracts passers by with its disjointed decor, bits and pieces, quirky retro phone booth and vinyl -chequered floor and it can be described as a coffeehouse, restaurant and a space to showcase local artists. Apart from the effective graffiti on the walls and the cool concept, the execution is rather lacking, perhaps because of my aversion to uncomfortable office furniture and splintery tables.
The menu is interesting, with breakfast served all day and simple food offered for lunch. A blackboard lists all the daily specials with some hefty prices tagged on to pretty
straightforward Gnocchi for example. I was there with a friend for lunch and we decided on the rather delicious sounding burgers: the Odd Burger consisting of Avocado, red caramelised onions and pineapple, and the Babbelas Burger with bacon, cheese, caramelised onions, sour cream and fresh basil. These come with a choice of salad or chips at the exorbitant price of R64 and R74 respectively. Service was woefully slow (45 minutes) but the food was really good notwithstanding the length of time it took to produce it.
The overall feeling was that it’s a great place to meet and chill, especially for students, but they are going to have to try harder regarding service and turnaround time, not to mention the huge contrast in price when it comes to similar eating places.
This spot is found in Greenside on Greenway road and it lives up to its title in more ways than one.
By Rebecca Staniforth
Staff Service H H
Interiors H
Food H H H H
Value for Money HConcept & brand message H
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Butler Reviews
At odds with the Odd Cafe
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Butler Reviews
The next step was 44 Stanley Street in Johannesburg, where excellence in both fare and service continued and now, with the backing of Famous Brands (falling under their Theatre of Foods division, which accommodates privately-owned, non-mainstream food service businesses) there is a Vovo Telo in Parkhurst.
The décor is very much the same as the other branches, with bags of stone-ground flour piled up, chandeliers hanging from pressed ceilings and tables groaning with various displays of bread and patisserie. The place is vibey and this is definitely due to the fortunate location of Cobbles Centre.
I went there on three separate occasions and can only describe the service as consistently half-baked. Speaking of baking, my grandfather was a German master baker, so I grew up savouring a varied selection of breads and have tasted a good many on my travels. The rye at VT was far too heavy and dense and didn’t meet the mark and the Pain Perdu (lost bread) almost lost the plot with sickly sweet berry compôte over honey mascarpone cream; and here the brioche was too brittle. For breakfast one
morning I ordered the Pickering breakfast which consisted of a poached egg, gypsy ham, brie cheese and tomatoes on toasted ciabatta, and again, the ciabatta fell short.
The Pizza however was pleasing. I ordered the Pissaladière (oval provencal pizza) which had an enticing topping of ham, brie,roasted rosa tomatoes, bocconcini mozzarella, rocket and fresh chillies and garlic on one side, in addition to avocado, gorgonzola, salami, bocconcini mozzarella and fresh rocket on the other. Really good if you like a very thin base. On a lunch date, I tried the Honey Mustard Chicken Salad which was deliciously garnished with Danish feta, roast mushrooms and avocado and this was really enjoyable.
Every restaurant (including the food franchises) has a few hiccups in the beginning, but there shouldn’t be an excuse when it comes to providing
the wine that is on the menu (no Sauvignon Blanc on one occasion!) and a fundamental necessity should be an adequately trained staff and ever-present manager...or otherwise it could tarnish the brand. Vovo Telo is probably saved by the fashionista area and the fact that it does its best
to appeal to a wide audience.
Vovo Telo’s appeal holds no zealThe original Vovo Telo was started in 2007 in Port Elizabeth, conceptualised as a neighbourhood artisanal baker using age-old techniques with classic products, producing breads and pastries using the varied traditions of Europe.
Staff Service H H
Interiors H H H H
Food H H H
Value for Money H H
Concept & brand message H H H
By Rebecca Staniforth
page 26
On the Menu
Known in gourmet circles as the foodie Oscars, this year’s awards were presented at a stunning ceremony held at The Rotunda at The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay. For Terroir’s chef, Michael Broughton, who opened his first restaurant in Johannesburg in 1997, the award brings to eight the number of times he has featured in the annual Top 10. This is indicative of his enduring talent, leadership and teaching skill in the
kitchen. Since opening in 2004 at Kleine Zalze, Terroir has maintained a steady following of guests who appreciate the classic food and wine pairings, warm hospitality and picturesque surroundings of the farm.
The combination of food and wine is an important aspect of Kleine Zalze. Celebrating the farm’s 15-year anniversary earlier this year, managing director and co-owner Kobus Basson mentioned that one of
his proudest moments over the last few years was when Terroir became the first Stellenbosch restaurant to make the Eat Out Top 10. ‘Since then, many other fantastic restaurants have opened up and now Stellenbosch has become a real food lover’s destination, rivalling Cape Town and Franschhoek. I am very proud of my team, and for us all, to be able to say that we’ve been a part of that,’ said Kobus.
The name, Terroir, reflects Michael Broughton’s philosophy of keeping things down-to-earth while extracting as much flavour as possible out of every ingredient that ends up on the plate. This equates to cooking seasonally and sourcing locally to produce boldly flavoured, well balanced dishes that stand up to the growing collection of award-winning wines from Kleine Zalze. Broughton and his staff have just wrapped up a six-part TV series produced by Cooked in Africa Productions, depicting a year in the life of Terroir and the Kleine Zalze estate. With a working title, Seasons, it is due to be aired on local screens in 2012.
‘I love the fact that we were instrumental in kick-starting the food revolution in Stellenbosch,’ said Michael Broughton in the kitchen of the Rotunda, where he and his team were putting the finishing touches to over 350 main course plates, part of a four-course dinner prepared by a handful of the country’s most talented chefs for the awards ceremony.
Kleine Zalze’s Terroir Restaurant wins in the annual Eat Out AwardsAt the 2011 Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards, Stellenbosch restaurant Terroir proudly received its sixth Top 10 award, winning sixth place in what has become an increasingly competitive line-up of South Africa’s best restaurants.
The Michelangelo Hotel’s executive chef and former director of the SA Chefs’ Association, Andrew Atkinson, says it’s vitally important to have a quality and varied baked goods and dessert offering that always delivers on taste, visual appeal, and satisfaction levels.
He is enthusiastic about a versatile product from Pillsbury®, called Tubeset® Batter, which he says can deliver all that and more. After extensive trials, he agreed to be
the product’s brand ambassador.
Pillsbury®Tubeset® Batter consists of pre-mixed frozen batters in a variety of flavours, packaged in a 1.3kg plastic piping bag for ease of use.Tubeset®has a six-month shelf life frozen and 48 hours once thawed.With traditional usage, each Tubeset® will make about 20 X 65g cupcakes or muffins.
‘It is exceptionally easy to use. ‘This means that even the most inexperienced assistant in the kitchen can create baked masterpieces such as cakes, muffins, cupcakes, breads, desserts and more – quickly, easily and successfully,’ adds Atkinson.
The Tubeset batter flavour range consists of 11 variants with plans for further additions in the pipeline. The flavours include Blueberry, Cappuccino Choc Chunk, Chocolate Choc Chip, Caramel Fudge, Lemon Poppy Seed, and Plain Crème.
At a series of workshops held at the Good Food Studio in Sandton, Chef Andrew rose to the challenge of demonstrating the Pillsbury® Tubeset® range, presenting five baked creations and inspiring the chefs from contract catering companies, hotels and restaurants across Gauteng with his creativity.
Eighteen teams then rushed downstairs to the Pick ‘n Pay on Nicol with the challenge of creating their own unique dish using the Pillsbury® Tubeset® products.
Armed with a shopping card loaded with R100, they picked the ingredients to create a dish that they hoped would score them the most points. “It was incredible to see how chefs from different operations around Gauteng produced such unique and original dishes, showcasing just how versatile the Pillsbury™ Tubeset®range is,” says Andrew.
For more information contact 0800 116 766.
Versatile all-in-one batter delivers taste and convenienceCreativity is a key driver in the success of commercial baking, with consumers expecting innovative taste sensations as well as delectably eye-catching baked goods – whether at breakfast, high tea, dinner, or any time in between.
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Main Attraction !
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Cater This
Driven by specialist outsourced catering company, Royal Mnandi, Executive Chef Wayne Kingsley has been assigned the task of standardising all of RoyalMnandi’s healthcare menus nationally as well as ensuring that kitchen hygiene and service standards can be measured against the best in the world.
Having devised and implemented a number of brand new menu options selected from tried and tested recipes that have been honed over the years, Kingsley is delighting with his well thought out, carefully prepared and well presented meals.
“Previously meal options were very limited and quite monotonous, so I have tried to really make meal times interesting and something to look forward to. My role in this project however goes beyond just changing the menu but rather it needs to have long-term benefit. This has involved extensive training, not only of the chefs and kitchen staff but also our ward hostesses who have direct contact with the patients and staff each and every day, numerous times a day,” says Kingsley.
“At RoyalMnandi we are all about fantastic food and coupled with outstanding service we are really trying to go that extra mile to make
someone’s day special. Being ill and confined to hospital is never a happy experience but we want to give patients something positive to take away with them and that comes down to showing we care and instilling a ‘Yes I can’ attitude amongst the staff. We have already seen huge improvements in the food quality and presentation and the matrons and customer liaison officers have been blown away by the new attitude and energy of the staff. It has been very exciting to see.”
Kingsley and his exacting standards have transformed the kitchen and staff restaurant into fresh functional areas and the gleaming food trolleys are further evidence of his touch. New quality management systems have also been put in place to ensure exceptional standards of quality and hygiene and a new serving order system is ensuring that patients and staff enjoy a still hot meal.“I am really proud of the staff and what they have achieved, the change is phenomenal and although my work is done here for the time being, it does not end here. I will be back to ensure that all the skills and knowledge that I have imparted are still being implemented and we will continue to build on it in an effort to maintain the high standards RoyalMnandi offers to its clients. The efforts of the RoyalMnandi Management Team approach and the support
they have shown to both the staff and our Lenmed client has ensured the continuity of great service and our efforts to exceed that expectation will continue,” concludes Kingsley.
Local private clinic, Lenmed, is enticing and exciting its staff and patients with its new food and service offering.
Bringing back heart to food & service
Wayne Kingsley, Executive Chef
The beginning of summer in the Cape sees the appearance of crayfish on smart menus around the city and signifies the start of summertime fun. Crayfish from these waters are a delicacy with the opening of the season cause for celebration - and at One&Only Cape Town, this is certainly the case, as lunch and dinner diners at Reuben’s can feast on the latest summertime menu offering – a decadent One&Only Seafood Platter for Two. The laden seasonal platter boasts a wide selection of delectable seafood, served with lemon butter and peri-peri sauce, house-cut fries and jasmine rice.
One&Only Cape Town’s head sommelier, Luvo Ntezo offers a choice of hundreds of superb white wines, Champagnes and Methôde Cap Classiques from the resort’s impressive cellar. Guests can enjoy an inside table at Reuben’s or may prefer to take a seat on the terrace overlooking the V&A Waterfront but perhaps this is a treat best served in the privacy of one’s hotel suite out on the private balcony with a view? The sense of indulgence is undeniable and for those who appreciate the finer things in life, one that will be relished.
One&Only’s Summer Splash
Cater This
page 29
edding and engagement season is upon us, and, at One&Only Cape Town with holiday planning in full swing, the award-winning resort is unveiling a luxurious new 76-ft motor yacht and sophisticated new ballroom.
With a new classic ivory colour palette and the striking addition of six exquisite handmade
crystal chandeliers to the decor, the new Ballroom is a space now suited for the most elegant of weddings. Measuring 2,314 square feet, the Ballroom also boasts 648 square feet of outdoor space with breathtaking views of Table Mountain. Able to accommodate 50 to 140 guests, the lavish venue can be divided in two for more intimate affairs and has already drawn the attention of Cape Town’s A-list soon-to-be-weds to celebrate their special day.
“The beauty of getting married at One&Only Cape Town is that absolutely everything is taken care of, from the flowers to the décor, the cake, DJ and every other detail in between,” says Adele Bennett, One&Only Cape Town Wedding Coordinator. “Both the couple and the guests are treated to a 5-star event that showcases our spectacular location on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and services that are simply unparalleled from an award-winning spa to the gourmet cuisine of Nobu and South
African Celebrity Chef Reuben Riffel.”A further addition to One&Only Cape Town’s Celebrations offering is the
hotel’s recent acquisition of the Sherilyn, a luxury motor yacht available to couples for sunset wedding photographs, intimate wedding ceremonies and proposals showcasing the stunning vistas of Table Mountain and Table Bay. Able to accommodate up to 20-passengers, the Sherilyn comes equipped with a qualified team able to facilitate elaborate floral décor or a menu of gourmet canapés and champagne. Couples partaking in the One&Only Cape Town Ballroom Package are provided exclusive access to the yacht for post-ceremony drinks. The Sherilyn also acts as an ideal venue for bachelorette, bachelor and a post-wedding brunch.
The new Ballroom and yacht join an already expansive list of venues and offerings for couples celebrating a One&Only Moment in Cape Town. From an intimate ceremony overlooking the Waterfront to an alfresco celebration at Isola restaurant, each individual celebration is designed to suit individual tastes and styles.
“I do” at One&Only Cape TownCelebrated Resort Unveils
Sophisticated New Ballroom and Yacht for Weddings and Proposals in the
Heart of Cape Town
W
Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, was awarded the much-coveted
Distiller of the Year title at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) official awards ceremony held in London.
The prestigious Distiller of the Year award recognises consistent excellence and quality across a portfolio and completed a hugely successful night for Chivas Brothers, who also collected Gold medals for The Glenlivet 18 Year Old, Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured and Strathisla 12 Year Old single malts.
Christian Porta, Chairman and Chief Executive of Chivas Brothers, comments: “We are delighted to have been so successful at this year’s ISC. It is a fantastic accolade to be named Distiller of the Year, and is the ultimate third party endorsement of the high quality of our Scotch whisky and gin portfolio. This prestigious award is a tribute to the craftsmanship and dedication of our master distillers and blenders.”
The International Spirits Challenge is one of the most authoritative, respected and influential spirits competitions in the world. Now in its 16th
year, the competition is founded on a rigorous and independent judging process, which serves to encourage the high calibre of spirits entered into the competition each year. Receiving more than 1,000 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide, the ISC is a truly global competition.
Chivas Brothers named 2011 Distiller of the year at international spirits challenge
Asara, a five-star Wine Estate and Hotel located in the Cape Winelands, has released its latest
vintage of its elegant Sauvignon Blanc 2011 in time for the sweltering summer months.
The zesty and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc is made using grapes harvested from two of Asara’s vineyards. This ensures the harmonious blend of tropical fruit and green flavours, maintaining the characteristics of an authentic Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc.
The grape bunches are handpicked in February in the cooler hours of the early morning whilst the ambient temperatures of the vineyards are low. Once in the cellar, a specialist reductive technique is employed to prevent oxidisation of the more subtle notes of the wine. The grapes are then cooled, lightly pressed and allowed to settle for two days before undergoing a fermentation process of up to three weeks. This delicate process yields alluring aromas of lemon zest, white peach and green melon which follows through to the palate, developing into warm notes of tropical fruit.
Asara releases new Sauvignon Blanc An exciting new range of wines from the Cape
is sure to make its mark this summer. Laska Wines are available in four variants which
delightfully accompany various occasions.The pinotage 2009, aptly named THE ONE, has
the brilliant colour and rich flavour that typifies this particular cultivar. There is a sweet berry taste with vanilla spice notes and a complexity of herbs which could be enjoyed with turkey in a rich berry coulis, or roasted fillet of game meat, served medium-rare. The Merlot 2010 is lush in colour and aroma and shows a profusion of ripe plum and blackcurrant with just a hint of spice. Bold in weight, yet smooth, this wine is best enjoyed with full-bodied cheeses, barbecue meats or slow-roasted lamb.
The Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and energetic, easy-to-drink wine, perfect for lazy summer days. It could be partnered with lightly salted nuts or creamy goat’s cheese and is perfect with fish. The Chenin Blanc is also light and crispy with tropical fruit tones and is delicious chilled, served with pasta, pizza or cheeses.
Overview on Laska Wines
KWV Brandy has asserted its position as one of the world’s best brandy producers, recently winning a record number of local
and international awards. On October 10, the KWV 10 Year Old Brandy took
top honours as Best Brandy in the World at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) in London. The KWV 10 Year Old Brandy reclaimed the award it first won in 2007, beating more than 1000 entries from 70 countries worldwide.
Four other KWV Brandies won awards at the ISC, with the KWV 15 Year Old claiming a double gold and the KWV 20 Year Old, KWV 3 Year Old and the Imoya VSOP all winning gold.
A mere two days before the ISC, KWV Brandy won a record number of awards at the prestigious Veritas Awards, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on October 8. The KWV 15 Year Old Brandy won a coveted double gold award, while the Imoya VSOP, KWV 10 Year Old, KWV 20 Year Old and Laborie Alambic all won gold awards.It was the second year that brandy was a category at the Veritas Awards, which traditionally only recognised achievements in wine production.
Kobus Gelderblom, Chief Brandy Master at KWV, is honoured to receive so many accolades. “We distilled our first brandy in 1926 and released it as the 10 Year Old in 1936. Since then we have grown an impressive portfolio that has won us a string of awards and accolades. It is a great reward for us to win both local and international awards and we thank our wonderful team for all their hard work.”
KWV Brandy rakes in awards
Thirsty Butler
page 30
Advertorial
Cocktail culture is back and thriving. As people return to old fashioned values and the glamour of Hollywood and yesteryear, the allure of a perfectly made cocktail has never
been stronger. It invokes glamour drinking, the chink of ice cubes against a stylish glass with a delicate garnish, a reminder of the 1960’s social norms.
The cocktail has kept its exclusivity through the careful handling of its image and reputation – the art of perfect cocktail making, the popularity of cocktail dresses and parties. How does a restaurateur or bar owner capitalise on the re-emergence of cocktail culture?
People order a cocktail to start their evening, or they go out for cocktails, to make an evening of it with particular aspirations in mind. Therefore the cocktail menu must be sophisticated and classic, an exclusive offering to reward the consumer with an exciting but not too varied choice.
Visit www.originaliced.co.za for more information
Cocktail culture has returned
Remember that the presentation is as important as the offering...
Add a WOW factor to your cocktail offering; be it a garnish, a specially selected plate of nibbles, entertainment or a sophisticated, designer glass. Always remember that presentation is as important as the offering.
Original Cocktails manufacture a range of superior quality Iced* and Shaken cocktails made with real fruit juice and ready to freeze or chill, before serving. This convenience allows valuable time for the bartender to concentrate on presentation and service.
With three Original Iced* cocktails; a Strawberry Daiquiri, Margarita and Pina Colada, and three Original Shaken variants; a Cosmopolitan, Mojito and Singapore Sling, there is sufficient variety to cater for all discerning palates.
Embrace cocktail culture by looking into the minds of cocktail consumers and reading what feelings they want from their cocktail experience, be it glamour and sophistication, trendy and chic, traditional and romantic – or maybe a combination of all.
Pairing food with cocktails is a novel idea. Depending on the ingredients, suggest canapés to match and compliment these flavours and textures. The prevailing flavour in most cocktails comes from the mixers, not the spirits. So for example, the lemon in a margarita would go well with fresh seafood, like raw oysters. Think of a cocktail as a condiment to enhance a canapé and if a cocktail is sweet, temper it with a bite-sized dish of something warm, but not too spicy.
For instance, cork, which is a natural and sustainable resource, is an attractive alternative for an establishment which wants to be environmentally friendly. Cork is also anti-microbial and has excellent insulation properties, ensuring minimal heat loss and comfortable warm walking surface. It’s resilient and ‘springs back’ preventing imprints which can be caused by heavy traffic as well as furniture. It also provides excellent noise insulation. By the same token,
bamboo is also a natural material that can serve as flooring, either bound vertically, woven or engineered as a plank with a solid bamboo top layer. Wooden floors are in a class of their own, enhancing any living space with warmth, beauty and elegance. In keeping with sustainability, forests
today are managed properly and for each tree that is used one or more is usually planted in its place.
“I think that original, Scandinavian Oak is all the trend right now and adds a beautiful, warm finish to dining rooms and hotel suites. It can be stained different shades which gives it great versatility while still looking authentic and natural. Oggi Floors supply these products locally,” says Marguerite Doig-Gander, owner of the Home Stylist.
With regards to reception, front of house and lounge areas, Jeremy Stewart, from Source Interior Brand Architects, says: “Traditionally receptions are generally hard wearing floors such as tiles, with the introduction of inlay custom hand woven rugs. Certain brands use timber flooring to warm up modern/stark interiors. Natural stone (marbles & granite) has been very popular but given that the quarrying of these materials is not sustainable, fired substitutes are more common”.
Vinyl floors are back in vogue with technologically advanced products from Belgotex Vinyl putting superior product quality and convenience right at your feet. The new range – Seneca – offers a simple one-click installation system for luxury vinyl planks. A revolutionary new silver anti-bacterial treatment for cushioned vinyl delivers health and hygiene
Flooring has to be chosen not only for its looks, but it also needs to be suitable for the type of environment and the level of activity that the space demands. The beauty about flooring trends today is that there are vast varieties of choice going from material to colour and style.
Synergy by Nexus
Flooring trends in the hospitality industry
Hospitality InteriorsHI
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Vivace Restaurant at the Radisson Blu
Taj Hotel, Cape Town
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is a true investment and is so much more than just a carpet. This contemporary interpretation in 100% pure wool simply has it all - a modern, natural look in the most desirable quality carpet fibre available. Copenhagen, through inspired innovation and unparalleled craftsmanship, offers a superfine Nouwens yarn and durable weave that make it ideal for high traffic areas. Not only is it serviceable and hard wearing, but with the luxury of wool, this carpet of distinction can be placed in a living or dining room, office, boardroom or hallway to ensure an elegant and long lasting finish.
Available in two modern weave designs and 5 colour options.
For more information or to find your nearest Nouwens Platinum Partner or Nouwens appointed dealer:
National: 0860 00 0058, www.nouwens.co.za, [email protected]
underfoot. It provides all the good looks of wood with a simple tongue-and-groove click system that locks individual vinyl planks together. It is available in eight natural wooden shades and boasts a protective wear layer that ensures it won’t scuff or scratch and is guaranteed for 5 years.
‘Silver’s an element that’s been used for centuries and it’s become increasingly popular in household appliances such as fridges and washing machines for its anti-bacterial properties,” says Helen de Villiers, marketing manager at Belgotex Floorcoverings. This resilient flooring solution is finding its way into the trendiest, most diverse interiors. From the medical fraternity to retail, educational institutions to hospitality installations, luxury apartments to office blocks and sports facilities, vinyl flooring offers easy to install, hygienic and low-maintenance style and convenience.
Tufted tiles from Nexus, the commercial division of Belgotex Floorcoverings combine comfort and convenience with versatility of design. Synergy, Cube2 , Baseline and Times Square are loop-pile modular flooring systems featuring all the excellent performance advantages of hi-tech yarns with the latest in interior design. Patterns are graphic and
sophisticated featuring repetitive lines and geometrics of almost severe simplicity in traditional colours tempered with tones of grey to earthy shades of stone, khaki, dusty blues, sage greens and reds.
Baseline features a subtle light/dark geometric design to create a formal linear block effect suitable for heavy commercial applications. Made from Stainproof SDX – a solution dyed nylon, Baseline is colourfast and UV-resistant so won’t fade or discolour in direct sunlight. Can be laid in monolithic (pictured), tessellated or random designs.
Times Square with its subtle square design is an excellent choice in heavy commercial applications such as banks where durability and formality are important considerations. The loop-pile tiles, made from Stainproof SDX, offer excellent soil hiding properties, acoustics and an overall professional appearance. Can be laid in tessellated (pictured) direction only.
Synergy is the newest loop-pile tile featuring a distinctive pinstripe
Hospitality InteriorsHI
page 34HI
Lamunu Hotel
Park Inn, Sandton
Strathavon Hotel
If you aren’t already one of the 64 000 people reading Butler Magazine on their PC or tablet
device, what are you waiting for...
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Newport by Nouwens
pattern suitable for general or medium commercial installations. Made from affordable polypropylene yarn - Stainproof Miracle Fibre - the pinstripe design hides soiling and marks and won’t stain. Can be laid in ashlar (pictured), monolithic, tessellated or random designs.
For a more repetitive “circuitboard” look, opt for the Cube2 range of tufted tiles. Ideal for high traffic areas such as lifts and lobbies this range is also made from Stainproof Miracle Fibre so is also completely stainproof and very hardwearing. Can be laid in random, monolithic or tessellated designs.
For bedrooms and bathrooms, the choice of flooring varies by region. Jeremy Stewart, from Source Interior Brand Architects, says: “We mostly use carpets in hotels in southern Africa, while timber and tiled surfaces are better suited in Equatorial or coastal regions, where moisture content is high”.
New from Nouwens are updated versions of two products: the Copenhagen and Contracta Spec carpets. Copenhagen is the epitome of modern premium style. This contemporary interpretation in pure wool has it all – a modern natural look and the most desirable quality carpet fibre available. It is ideal for busy, high traffic areas both commercially and domestically. Easy to clean, hard wearing and with the luxury of wool this carpet can be placed in a living room or dining room, office, boardroom or hallway to ensure an elegant and longwearing base for
many a space. For clients in need of serious value for money and durability– Contracta
Spec is the carpet to recommend. With its nylon base, the Contracta Spec range is popular for its affordability and hardwearing qualities.
A new range of carpet, Eterno, is both sophisticated and hardwearing. Available in 11 trendy colours, Eterno brings style and durability to commercial space that boasts high traffic, e.g. a dining room, boardroom or entrance hall.
Sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint plays a large part in choice of flooring. Jeremy Stewart advises: “Investigate origin of all African and Indonesian/Malaysian timbers. Outside of what I said about natural stone resources we take cognisance of where tiles are manufactured and whether they have an ISO rating and to what level. Most large European factories have ISO 14001 ratings as a minimum standard, whereas this is not the case in the East”.
u NexBac Eco backing allows for easy replacement of worn or damaged tiles
u Post industrial waste is blended with NexBac mixture creating a green backing alternative with 35% recycled content
u Striking graphic designs hide soilingu Interchangeable laying patterns for even wear patternsu Stainproof yarns for easy cleaning and durabilityu Low VOC levelsu Environmentally friendly
Hospitality InteriorsHI
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ONE IS ENOUGH
...and that’s all you needParmalat 20ml single-serve milk pods have been tailor-made
for the Food Services Industry and the hospitality market.
One Parmalat Milk Pod replaces two regular milk cups, saving
you time and money. It is the perfect amount of milk for one cup.
In addition, Parmalat Milk Pods have a shelf life of 6 months, are
shelf stable and conveniently do not need to be refrigerated.
AVAILABLE IN CASES OF 50 UNITS.
visit www.parmalat.co.za for trade enquiries, or purchase Parmalat Milk Pods at your nearest retailer or wholesaler.
...and that’s all you need...and that’s all you needM
P_10
01BH
_FP_
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For trade enquiries phone 0860 66 44 22, or visit our website at www.parmalat.co.za
Below: When it comes to outdoor furniture selection with regards to hotels and restaurants, the points to bear in mind are comfort, durability and of course aesthetics.
Above: “The selection of outdoor furniture would also depend on the Architectural style of the hotel, but the synthetic, woven products from Cane Time and Soleil (Johannesburg) work well with most designs and are weatherproof for a longer life span.
Right: Aluminium is lightweight and curves beautifully to allow for
comfort.
Hospitality InteriorsHI
page 38HI
Taking the inside, out...
Pa a r d e n Ei l a n d | S e a Po i n t | St r a n d | S a n d to n | Fo u r w ay s | D u r b a n | www.mobelli.co.za CALL 0861 MOBELLI
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Above: Rattan is known for its stability, elegance, flexilbility and variety of shapes and colours. It is incredibly light and easy to maintain.
Above: Rattan is among the oldest natural furniture material in use today. Unlike bamboo, which is hollow, rattan is a solid timber vine that grows in the jungles of Indonesia.
Left: Wicker also remains very popular because of competitive pricing. There is an all-weather range which is very durable, water proof and UV stabilised. (Cane World nationwide)
Hospitality InteriorsHI
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Below: Other materials with Indonesian influences are seagrass and abaca- a species of plantain banana tree.
Left: The Adirondack chair and other designs usually associated with wood products are realized in Seaside Casuals’ synthetic Envirowood. Constructed from recycled materials like plastic bottles and containers that are permeated with UV-stabilised colouring that simulate real wood
Right: When it comes to colours, white, sand and brown shades will continue to dominate in 2012.
Right: Styles of patio furniture abound, and no matter what your tastes are, there is a style to match. The trend is dominated by playful creations and gently flowing forms.
Below: Loungers and couches are characterised by a puristic straightforwardness and elegance and wicker is chunkier.
Above: Mobellli’s rattan range of furniture is deep-dyed and UV
protected, ensuring the colour does not fade, even when left outside in
harsh weather conditions.
HIpage 41
Above: Mobelli’s discerning design-led furniture is now seen adorning the patios, spas and conservatories of South Africa’s leading hotels and restaurants
Below: Colour trends vary from neutral, which can always be
dressed up with bright cushions or chair backs, to brights, which blend
in with the outdoors.
There’s been a lot said recently about the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa and about the tourism star grading system.
The entire system has undergone a significant overhaul, defining criteria for graded establishments to make sure they meet global standards and to ensure that there’s uniformity and predictability in services, standards and facilities among establishments that enjoy the same star grading.
Consumers, after all, have every right to demand value for money as well as to expect to receive the full extent of what they’re paying for, and to be fully informed of what their money’s going to buy them before they hand it over. And hotels, lodges, BnBs and guest houses, by the same token, have every right to market themselves as establishments where quality is taken seriously, where promises are delivered and where the value for money that consumers seek is provided.
Last year, the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa implemented the new minimum standards of entry and grading criteria for the various categories of accommodation across each of the five star grading levels.
Although this is exceptionally good news for tourists and travellers, it’s excellent news for establishment owners as well. When an establishment chooses to apply for star grading from TGCSA, it enters a larger fraternity of tourism professionals that are committed to excellence, to maintaining South Africa’s world-class reputation as one of the top leisure destinations on the planet that benefit significantly from the reputation of the star grading system and South African Tourism’s international marketing and promotion network and reach.
Consumers know exactly what their money’s going to buy when they choose a graded establishment that can provide the facilities they need – such as a business centre, 18-hour room service, or babysitting services when they choose to stay at a 4 star formal accommodation establishment (lodge or hotel).
Chief Quality Assurance Officer at the Tourism Grading Council of South Arica, Thembi Kunene, says that the overhaul of the grading criteria took place because it had become clear that inconsistencies in standards and facilities in tourist accommodation had clouded the very purpose of star grading... quality assurance for consumers. In addition, South Africa’s graded establishments had become out of kilter with globally recognised
standards and norms, and were eroding the very value proposition of South Africa as both a holiday and a business tourism destination.
It makes good business sense, she adds, for establishments to apply and get themselves graded. “When you’re graded, you have the exclusive rights of displaying the symbol of quality in accommodation establishments- the star grading plaque. This newly designed plaque reflects a serial number together with the clear message that states that “This Grading Plaque is the property of the TGCSA”, thus making it legal for the TGCSA to remove the plaque from those establishments who insist on displaying it even though they are no longer graded,thus giving consumers the additional peace of mind of knowing that the grading conferred to the establishment they’ve chosen does indeed apply to that establishment and that it’s relevant and current.
The grading criteria introduced last year in October are very specific. Four and five star facilities including lodges and hotels have to provide a Business Centre, a valet service, full housekeeping and laundry service as a minimum requirement to fully justify the cream of the crop status that high star grading implies.
The list of necessities for the various grading levels was carefully researched, Kunene says, to ensure it was completely in line with global best standards and that it offered consumers best value for money.
The full list of grading criteria across all nine categories of accommodation facilities viz; formal accommodation (hotels and lodges) guest accommodation (country houses, guest houses and bed and breakfasts) self-catering accommodation, caravan and campaign establishments, backpackers and hostels, and meetings and special events venues may be viewed on the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa’s website, www.tourismgrading.co.za
Five star grading?Tourism Star Grading elevates business from the
ordinary to first choice consumer establishments
page 43
Back of House
HHHHH
page 44
As the Seventies passed into the Eighties, the baby boomers came out to play and brought a whole bucket full of money with them… restaurants in South Africa exploded. Quiet neighbourhoods filled with old world charm and quaint stores developed into rows of pavement cafés, coffee shops and owner-operated restaurants. Customers spoiled for choice up until this time were having
the time of their lives dancing on the tables at the Rattlesnake Diner, throwing their names away at Tijuanna220, sampling blackened food at the Moosehead or filling the pavement tables in Melville.
As the 80’s passed, the landscape suddenly changed as the 90’s brought with them shopping centres and strip malls; every piece of open land, every corner of every suburb suddenly witnessed an explosion in retail letting space and the new land grab had just started. With it, an explosion in franchise concepts swept the land. Not only was the landscape for ever altered, but with it the rules of success in the restaurant industry. Now that every man and his retired uncle taking an Eskom package could own a restaurant or something that at least resembled a restaurant, the skill of the operator suddenly made a difference and the equation shifted to LOCATION, LOCATION and OPERATOR.
Swiftly there were ten restaurants within a few hundred metres of each other and competition was getting hotter as fast as the money was drying up. It was becoming increasingly difficult to stay ahead of the pack. It involved aggressive marketing and constant renewal through innovation. Brands and independent operators who understood this were pouring plenty of time, effort and money into research and development and the price of opening a store was skyrocketing.
Concept was the new buzz word and the balance shifted once again;
Restaurants and the Triple Bottom Line
Those of you old enough to know that Crosby, Still, Nash and Young are not an accounting firm specialising in Tender Procurement will also remember a time when the three secrets to a great restaurant were LOCATION, LOCATION and of course LOCATION. Conventional wisdom was such that anyone serving anything could open and run a successful restaurant if he could just put it in the right place. Of course it was also a time when there were no more than ten restaurants in the greater Johannesburg region.
By Michael Said
Back of House
page 45
there were now three different corners on the triangle of success: LOCATION, OPERATOR, and CONCEPT. With either of the two boxes checked you could be relatively assured of success. You could put a good operator with a good concept in a mediocre location and he could drive the business, watch expenses and make a success of it. A mediocre operator could be left to his own devices with a great concept in a great location and he too could make a success of things.
Enter 2008 and suddenly rental agreements with 10% escalation clauses began to outstrip the potential for growth. As those rental escalations pushed the turnover to occupancy costs over the recommended 10% mark, profitability turned south and operators began to panic. Three years later, with most brands and independents showing no real year- on -year same store growth there was reason to panic. To their credit, most of the leading brands recognised this and we have seen a dramatic halt to expansion plans and a focus on existing operations. This should not be seen as a lack of business acumen or the decline of a brand, but rather as foresight and understanding of the current market conditions.
The growth in new properties has slowed dramatically, banks have tightened their lending practices and this has had a huge impact on the store openings.
But, what of our LOCATION, OPERATOR, CONCEPT triangle? There has been a noticeable shift as suddenly two out of three simply isn’t good enough anymore and success seems to be reserved for top operators in great locations with the correct concept. Things have changed so dramatically from the days of Location – Location – Location that the
restaurant landscape is hardly recognisable to “the old school”. They have watched the new kids on the block throwing money about, signing leases on unsuitable premises; they have witnessed the money drying up, the tightening of belts and the closed and auction signs on the door.
So what is the solution? Go back to basics, watch your expenses, treat your customers like gold and before you open a new location, check all the boxes on the triangle.
In the USA, gastronomically everything goes! Fusion has moved to “Global Mixmaster”. A multi-ethnic, multi sensory dining experience where flavours clash on purpose.
‘A multi-culti zucchini pizza dabbed with hummus and topped with crunchy wasabi peas is from nowhere geographically because it is from EVERYWHERE.
And in SA, fusion is certainly on the menus and influencing chefs. South Africans are not scared of mixing influences and ingredients, but the range is less adventurous. Knowledge of other cultures’ food is limited and customers are only
prepared to take it so far.
Instead of breadVariety is the name of the game. Look for sandwiches piled on things other than bread. Waffles, rice cakes, flatbreads and wraps. Think of KFC’s famous Double Down but with more inventive ingredients.
The KFC ‘Double Down’ contains two pieces of bacon and two melted slices of cheese, slathered in mayonnaise and sandwiched between two slices of meat.
In SA we ARE sandwich eaters and the kota and gatsby are a testament to taking the sandwich to the people. The kota (colloquial township term for Quarter) is a well known sandwich which Nandos have added to their
menu. It is a quarter baguette or loaf of bread with polony, salad and chips. The Gatsby is the Cape Town equivalent and can be found in many a downtown or township menu. I think that what we put inside bread will gain interest and customers will be more daring with combinations and sauces.
Peter Piper PicklesVegetable and fruit pickles will appear on more and more menus as chefs concoct more complex ways of making these preserves. These are becoming popular as they enliven all those multi-culti sandwiches. They are not like Gran’s, but global ingredients such as Asian fish sauce, Mexican peppers, ginger, yuzu (Japanese citrus), smoked paprika and star anise feature. Kimchee (spicy, pickled cabbage) has gone free-for-all! There are more pickled shallots and leeks garnishing steaks instead of fatty onion rings. Asian cuisine has brought a world-wide palate shift for sour-salty flavours.
…and in SA we love relishes, chutneys and anything pickled, so this may be a trend that chefs will follow and explore with a local twist.
Comfort food hits the wallBored by gastro-nostalgia, customers are demanding new taste thrills and culinary invention. Asian Bolognese, reworked Mac n Cheese with pork rilletes, (coarse pork pâté) and there is no limit to what can go on a burger, e.g. pastrami & eggs, beef & oysters. Sushi is getting stuffed with multi-culti ingredients. Plain roast chicken has been surpassed by Korean fried
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How do SA restaurant trends match up to trends Stateside?By Simone Falconer
Back of House
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chicken and our beloved Guacamole has been spiked with wasabi paste. Hummus is no longer a simple choice and a dozen or so flavours keep us interested. Meatloaf has been sidelined for all manner of meatballs at twice the price.
…and in SA, comfort and traditional food remains a top favourite, but it still needs to be exciting.
Round is hotFalafel, arancini, (an Italian rice ball made with white wine risotto, and a gooey mozzarella center), goat’s cheese balls, meatballs, risotto balls – all deep fried and served with different sauces and dips are becoming hot, shareable food. They are contemporary, drink-friendly, finger food.
…frikkadels, falafel and mini bites are all SA flavours and will continue to grow.
Beer gardensOutdoor or indoor/outdoor, beer gardens boom, the bigger the better. Good cheap beer and unchallenging food like pretzels, hot dogs and burgers are in favour. Moveable roofs and warmers make for a year-round business. Have a look out for Eataly’s Birreria, (Madison Ave), a 10 000sq ft rooftop extravaganza in New York with its own microbrewery, wine from barrels, operable roof and terrific “alpine” food.
In SA, the “real beer” movement gains some ground. Microbrewed beer is in hot demand and the food and beer world will expand into gourmet space. &Union has already set up a beer garden in Cape Town creating an excitement for crafted beers.
Forget skyscraper architecture Chefs are shifting from stacking to stringing out ingredients in caterpillar-like lines along oblong or rectangular plates.
…restaurants love rectangular and the ingredients are arranged in a landscape fashion.
Peru gains momentum The home of pisco sour cocktails and ceviche, (fish cooked in lime juice) Peruvian cuisine is a mix of Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Italian and Andean flavours. Top chefs worldwide are dabbling here and predict this as the next new trend.
Cape Town’s Keenwa – a Peruvian restaurant – has caused much intrigue but does not deliver the culture or cuisine well enough to spark a second visit. However, I think the influence is on its way.
Be careful Misuse of words like “artisan” and “heirloom” and “local”, as retail chains pollute their meaning for marketing slogans. Adding “wholegrain” to plant bread does not make it “artisan”. “Green” and “sustainable” are in this category too.
As we do not have a big enough market to really afford to pay for products with these messages, it is unlikely marketing departments will put too much emphasis around these words. However, restaurant menus containing these words are appealing to diners.
BuzzwordsFresh sardines / Ultra long dry aging of meat / Oxtail / Duck (but not à l’orange) / Ricotta / Bone marrow / Coconut oil / Goat meat / Lamb ribs and belly / Exotic bar bitters / Micro distillers.
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A satisfied Guest (as lovely as that sounds) may buy from you today, but what about tomorrow, next week or even next month? This type of guarantee does not lie with ensuring satisfaction alone. In order to safeguard repeat business, we need to move Guests beyond the starting block of satisfaction, to the point of delight. But yes, we need to get the basics right first – so let’s begin there.
As a satisfied Guest, I may think your business offers an “adequate
solution” to my needs, and delivers on that solution fairly well. If asked, I may say nice things about you, sometimes even hinting at terms of affection. However as a satisfied Guest, I am still a free agent, seeing what others have to offer and exploring the marketplace. As a satisfied Guest, I still have a wondering eye, one that may easily be wooed away by your competition.
Understanding Guest SatisfactionSo what is the very least we should be doing? We should be delivering on their expectations. But this is where it gets tricky. Our Guests are human beings and therefore the flavour of their expectations may vary. However, at our core, we all want 4 simple things:
We want a perfect product, delivered by caring people, in an appropriate time frame, and when we have a problem – we want you to fix it. Fast.
Guest Satisfaction: the death of any business
Would you think it strange if I told you that, as Service Providers, we should avoid creating satisfied Guests? I am sure most people would. So let me explain why.
By Brendon Bairstow-Klopper
Back of House
Put another way, my satisfaction is determined by my expectations (those 4 simple things I want) and your performance in meeting them. As a Service Provider, part of your job is to understand this principle and try to apply this formula correctly.
Although this satisfaction equation (satisfaction = expectations ÷ performance) may be overly simplistic (as a Guest, my expectations are, by their very nature, fluid and therefore may change at a moments notice), it does serve as a reminder that our Guests’ level of satisfaction can be effected by either their expectations or our performance.
So how do we go beyond satisfaction?By creating great Guest experiences. In order to drive repeat business, there is a magic that needs to be created, a secret ingredient that should be added to all our moments of service: The Emotional Connection. And why is this any different? Because experiences that invoke an emotional attachment to you (or your product or service), creates a bond; and once that bond is formed, it becomes hard to break. By consistently creating great experiences, these relationships then become your long-term differentiator, and what makes your Guests longing to come back for more.
And when things go wrong?As with any relationship, the key principles to “resolving a problem” is to rebuild the trust, apologizing and resolving your Guests’ sense of injustice. As our Guests feel they have been let down or wronged in some way, merely offering them what they expected to receive in the first place (remember your formula) is not going to restore their satisfaction. How do you do this? You offer something extra.
But a word of caution, especially to the trigger-happy amongst us, who aim straight for the freebie button when dealing with a dissatisfied Guest. Although, at times, the genuine offer of a heartfelt on-the-house “comp” may be just what the Customer ordered, ideally your “something extra” should change the nature of the event itself. How we do that successfully is by empowering our staff with the necessary tools to handle Guest complaints.
Forget the manager?Who should be dealing with “unsatisfied” Guests? Everybody. Empower your staff to resolve issues, without being afraid to include your Guest during this vital process. Using their creative Hospitality Gene, coupled with your Guest’s invaluable insight, the answer will be closer than you think.
Your Guest, and bottom line, will thank you for it.
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The site is located in the southwestern part of Rwanda, in an area that is rich with natural beauty. The hotel is located within rolling fields that are part of a working tea plantation, removed from the tar road by a ten minute drive on a meandering gravel road. The fields of tea are adjacent to the Nyungwe Forest, the largest rain forest remaining in East or Central Africa. Because of the high altitude, it has a
moderate-to-cool climate and is malaria free.In the most densely populated country in Africa, this location
provides a rare opportunity for the guests to be removed from the sensory overload that can be the result of travel on roads, time spent in the villages, and tourist activities.
Remote Rwandan hideawayThe brief for the project was to design a luxury lodge in a unique and very remote location, and for it to be the best in Rwanda, while being as sustainable as practically possible. The hotel officially opened in March, 2010 to a target market aimed at well-travelled, affluent eco-tourists, from the African continent and beyond.
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The main building and the villas that form the guest accommodation are surrounded by rolling fields of tea. The fields are harvested frequently and there are many fields within the plantation, so the guest will experience first hand when the tea-pickers move through the fields, selecting only the top three leaves for harvest. Within several kilometres from the lodge lies one of the regional tea factories which offers guided tours of the tea production process, from freshly picked leaves to the toasted and graded tea for sale at tea auction. The tea from these fields is renowned and usually commands the highest price at auction in East Africa, when it is sold in Mombasa, Kenya.
Immediately adjacent to the tea fields is the Nyungwe Forest. It is home to 14 different types of primates including chimpanzee and Colobus monkey, over 280 bird species, and a floral community of over 1100 different types including over 100 different types of orchids. Guests can go on guided walks directly from the lodge to a nearby waterfall, and beyond. Also close by are communities of Colobus monkeys, and a short drive away, guests can go on
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a chimpanzee trek and tour a visitor’s centre which also includes a canopy tree walk.
Less than an hour’s drive down the road is Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes, which lies on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The lake bed sits upon a rift valley that is slowly being pulled apart, causing volcanic activity in the area and making it particularly deep. It provides a way of life for many people in the form of fisheries located along its shore, and most of the fishing is still done in traditional boats, making it an intriguing place for a day trip. Guests may also travel to the lodge via the lake from other Rwandan excursions, such as gorilla trekking.
The lodge is accessed predominantly by vehicle, either directly from Kigali (capital city and largest airport, a 220 kilometre/4 hour drive), or from Cyuangugu (closest regional airport, a 30 km/45
minute drive). An alternative is to fly directly to site via a helicopter, arriving at the lodge’s own helipad.
In the main building, a tea lounge faces one of the most dramatic parts of the site, focusing on an iconic tree in the distance. The dining spaces are rotated and capture a view down a valley. At the edge of a rainforest, rain is a nearly daily part of the experience at the lodge, and water becomes an integrated part of the design. At the entry, one walks past a water feature fed by hand-made copper rain chains, which are used throughout the building to celebrate this part of daily life here.
The guest accommodation adds another layer to the experience, an intimate connection with the forest. The rooms are placed directly adjacent to the boundary with the forest. Each room has a deck facing the forest’s edge, often with a personal display by the monkeys. Everything is made of timber,integrating the project into the area, respecting the local culture and traditional methods.
Travelling Butler
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Travelling Butler
The judges said this Disneyesque creation is a creative masterpiece. “It’s like walking inside a giant python and eventually ‘popping out’ in the jungle. Then, looking back we see that the ‘python’ is 27 tons of tubular art with sleek, smooth and flowing lines.”
The Steel Awards, held recently at Emperor’s Palace, Kempton Park, Suncoast Casino, Durban and the One&Only Hotel,
Cape Town was hosted by the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) with the Aveng Group the main sponsor.
The Saxon Hotel Skywalk project, a spiral walkway bridge that winds its way through the heavily wooded grounds of the Saxon Boutique Hotel in the prestigious
suburb of Sandhurst, Johannesburg has won the Tubular category at Steel Awards 2011.
Saxon Hotel Skywalk
wins Tubular Category at Steel Awards 2011
The skywalk connects the main hotel and conference facilities to three new, ultra-luxurious villas situated in an indigenous forest on the southern side of the property. The project includes lifts at both ends, providing access to the walkway at the hotel end and to underground parking at the villa end.
According to the project team, the use of tubular steelwork for this project was a given due to its ‘strength-to-slenderness’ capability. “The brief was to provide an unobtrusive yet elegant means of moving safely between the hotel and the villas, while being able to enjoy the ambience of the location and this was achieved.”
The skywalk, fitted with timber flooring, glass handrails down both sides and a roof made of a canvas canopy fitted to thin tubular rafters welded across the top chords of the bridge, spans 76 metres from lift shaft to lift shaft and has five intermediate supports hidden in the forest.
The diameter of the spiral is 2.85m and the main chords are equally spaced around the spiral, with the two bottom chords inside the spiral and the two top chords outside the spiral.
Since the skywalk curves both horizontally and vertically over its length, it was impossible to fabricate its spiral ‘diagonals’ using a fully rolled spiral tube. They were rolled in partial circular segments instead.
These segments were then assembled with the main chords in special jigs and located by thread-bar studs at each intersection point utilising backing sleeves to obtain full penetration welds at all pipe joints.
Detailing of the structure was an achievement in itself and required an experienced detailer utilising a 3-D detailing package working in close conjunction with both the design engineer and the steelwork contractor to develop a set of practical and workable drawings.
The structure was fabricated in segments that allowed easy transport to site.
However, getting the segments onto site and to their final installed locations was not a simple exercise at all.
The segments varied in length between ten and thirteen metres and the shorter straight sections were able to be taken through the large but ‘tight fit’ main entrance gate.
However, the long, curved sections could not be taken through the gate or up the driveway with a horse and trailer and had to be craned over the high boundary wall and placed on a purpose made trailer for the final leg of the journey.
The sections were then carefully hoisted by crane through the trees and positioned onto temporary scaffold towers before being aligned.
Strong Women
The farm is situated in a valley, up against the Rooiberg Mountain range in the Klein Karoo.
Liz bought the land 15 years ago and planted her first olive trees two years later. She started farming organically from day one as she was passionate about preserving our planet’s resources by using sustainable farming practices. Today, the farm is one of five certified organic farms
in the area. Together with the other neighbouring farmers, Liz has formed a farmers’ organization called “The Klein Karoo Organic Initiative” (KKOI) with approx 60 member farms attending regular meetings and sharing skills and information.
Liz also regularly travels to Cape Town to give talks and conduct workshops on sustainable living and farming practices, as well as marketing her products.
Education is her foremost priority, especially as non-sustainable agro-chemical farming practices are responsible for a large percentage of global warming and creating a population that is largely nutrient deficient.
Liz produces the following products:• bottled olives done in various interesting ways: Olive oil, Black
olives, green olives, black olives stuffed with garlic, black olives stuffed with chillis, olive Tapenade with basil or chilli or garlic, olive jam, olive marmalade, olive chutney, dried olives in olive oil, dried olive seasoning.
• chilli products done in various interesting ways: various red and green mild chilli sauces, various red and green hot chilli sauces, green chilli salsa, dried chillies in olive oil.
• Herb salt rubs• Various olive leaf teas• Olive trees
Liz has taken a leading role in expanding organic olive farming in the country and ensuring the highest international standards.
Liz Eglington, Organic Olive farmer
With a deep love of the earth instilled from an idyllic childhood on a Zimbabwean farm, Liz Eglington has made organic farming
her mission in life. She owns Buffelshoek Farm where they have the label: “Blue Sky Organics”.
Compiled by Paola Chellew
Her appointments include Directorship of the South African Organic Sector Organisation, Chairperson of the Klein Karoo Organic Initiative (the region closest to her farm) and Director of PGSSA (Participatory Guarantee System South Africa), an international food assurance certification system.
Winner of Western Cape Woman Farmer of the Year and shortlisted for Most Influential Woman in Agriculture, she believes in sharing her knowledge and is in the process of writing a book on the subject.
Conservation is a logical extension of organic farming and Liz has chaired the Western Cape Conservation Stewardship Association, set up to encourage the conservation of the natural habitat on Western Cape farms. This area is home to the richest natural Floral Kingdom on the planet.
Farmer and owner of the first certified organic olive and chilli farm in South Africa, she has pioneered organic farming in South Africa.
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Given the immense physical size of most accommodation establishments, completing the necessary clean can be a monumental task, especially considering the variety of floor surfaces present in most hotels. It is for reasons such as these fast, effective and versatile floor hygiene solutions are necessary.
Back of house Most commercial kitchens in either restaurants or hotels have non-slip safety floors or profiled tiled floors and for obvious reasons have to be kept spotless. According to Duplex Cleaning, the best way to clean commercial kitchen floors is with the use of either a steam vacuum system or a cylindrical brush floor scrubber that actively removes grime and oils.
With the stringent regulatory requirements governing the hospitality sector, it is now easier than ever to achieve compliance with the installation of seamless flooring systems that provide protection against bacteria and a safer working environment.
These epoxy or polyurethane resin systems provide an easy-to-clean, hard-wearing and low-maintenance finish, eliminating the problems normally associated with conventional tiled flooring where dirt can accumulate in the joints.
In Flowcrete’s polyurethane resin Flowfresh system, the anti-
Floored by hygiene?
In the hospitality sector, floors play a distinct role in enhancing the guest’s comfort in the different spaces of the establishment. Cleanliness and hygiene are paramount and must never be neglected in order to preserve standards of excellence.
Compiled by Abby Vorster
Back of House
microbial, Polygiene, is effective against a range of bacteria including E.Coli, Staphylococcus Aureus, MRSA, Salmonella Typhi, Streptococcus Pyogenes and SARS, according to Ian Harrison, managing director for Flowcrete South Africa. “It also inhibits the growth of mould, fungi and mildew – working by harnessing the natural power of silver. The additive remains active throughout the lifetime of the flooring system, providing total protection against bacteria 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including between cleaning cycles,” he adds.
BathroomsIn bathroom cleaning applications, the traditional spray and wipe method with strong chemical disinfectant is no longer an option. With people increasingly developing allergies, in addition to wanting to avoid exposure to such chemicals, steam is becoming a popular alternative. Hence, the use of a floor steam cleaner is vital.
These multipurpose machines are used for cleaning floors, tile, granite, doors, window panes, mirrors, bathroom and kitchen fittings, countertops, sealed wood, enamel, ceramic, and many other types of surfaces.
Front of house and in roomMaking a memorable first impression is key in reception areas as it
is in the hotel room itself, so where carpets are concerned, steam vacuuming is the best cleaning application used to remove spills or thermally treat bed bugs without having to use chemicals. The use of a floor scrubber will effectively clean and restore hard floors to brand new.
For front of house and in room applications, another option is to install hygienic flooring that is non-slip and highly attractive. Quartz Carpet, a product that has been used successfully in numerous hotels throughout South Africa, is seamless stone flooring that is stain resistant and made from naturally tumbled glacial stone. The look provided by this product is said to be soft, relaxing and luxurious, while the stones feel great underfoot.
Regarding cleaning and maintenance, the open-pore structure of Quartz Carpet makes it more hygienic than carpets and tiles and easier to clean than most other flooring systems. A dry vacuuming removes all dust and dirt, whilst a wet vacuum with warm water and detergent restores its natural lustre.
Whether you choose to invest in the best available flooring solution or the latest good-quality, commercial floor steam cleaners, there’s no hiding from the grease and grime that lurks on floors in the hospitality sector, so it might be a good idea to do some research in order to make the right decision.
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Southern Sun Hotels walked away as victors during the 10th Annual Imvelo Awards ceremony, held on Wednesday 9 November 2011, International World Responsible Tourism Day.
Southern Sun Drakensberg: leaders in environmental sustainability in tourism
The programme is organised by the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) and awards tourism businesses that demonstrate suitable responsible practice in their operations in terms of their natural, social and economic environments.
“Our journey towards becoming environmentally sustainable forms a crucial tenet of our operations and we are honoured to receive the Imvelo Awards recognising our
commitment, especially since Southern Sun is one of the preferred accommodation partners for COP17. We embrace the opportunity to showcase our award-winning, environmentally responsible hotels during this dynamic event.
We are dedicated to serving our valued customers with a professional and caring attitude, simultaneously ensuring that we preserve our
heritage for generations to come”, says Graham Wood, Managing Director, Southern Sun Hotels.
Continuous efforts towards reducing and managing its impact, and striving to actively contribute to a more sustainable society, Southern Sun Hotels requested the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme to measure and track environmentally responsible business and sustainable practices at all their properties. Heritage audits each Southern Sun property annually to ensure compliance with environmental standards and procedures.
Southern Sun Hotel (Pty) Ltd, winner of the Most Empowered Tourism Business Group category, has a 43 year history in South Africa and supports education and development within the hospitality industry. For the past 20 years, the group has completed an annual skills plan and recorded all training. As an accredited provider, Southern Sun is actively involved in higher education institutions and provides exceptional learning internships to over 400 hotel school students each financial year. It works closely with
Green Welcome
CATHSSETA by providing learnerships.A division called Southern Sun Learning & Development is dedicated
to ensuring that every Southern Sun employee has access to education, training and development. In the past year, 95% of permanent employees received training. Employees are encouraged to build a career within the group, from every level right through to senior management. To this end, mentoring, executive coaching and leadership development is also provided.
In the category Best single resource management programme–waste–group, the Southern Sun Waterfront hotel received the Imvelo and the Southern Sun Garden Court Eastern Boulevard in Cape Town was a finalist. The Southern Sun Waterfront hotel embarked on a journey of establishing a permanent focus on responsible business management, with the environment a firm priority. In conjunction with Soil-for-Life, a food waste composting enterprise, and ZTL (Zero to Landfill Organics), the hotel team has had ongoing training involving all kitchen and service staff, to initiate the waste separation process at source. The entire team has been formally trained by waste management companies on the culture of waste reduction and recycling. This has resulted on all levels of staff being critically aware of their role in the sustainable management of the environment. The hotel was audited in May 2011 by Heritage SA and has subsequently
Drakensberg Sunhalf page advert
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been awarded gold status. The hotel’s Green Team next has its sights set on achieving Platinum Status within the next 12 months.
The Drakensburg Sun Lifestyle Resort remains one of the most sustainable hospitality operations in the country and was also the winner of three 2011 Imvelo awards, the Best practice–economic impact–group, the Best single resource management programme–energy–waste–water–group and the Best overall environmental management system–group.
Over the past five years, the resort has demonstrated a workable, sustainable and internationally competitive environmental management system that overarches almost all aspects of its operations. Water management is integral to the operational activities of this resort. It operates its own water treatment facility that has been proven to add to the downstream quality of water, while its involvement with the Working with Water project continues to result in increased river flow through the property.
The resort is committed to biodiversity protection and the re-introduction of species that have been driven out of the area resulting from poor veld management. Chemicals and pesticides are used responsibly and waste is managed and monitored constantly. Understanding integration between profit, people and planet makes the Drakensberg Sun Lifestyle Resort’s Environmental Management Systems a truly unique property.
Southern Sun Hotels (Pty) Ltd and the Southern Sun Garden Court Hatfield hotel were both finalists in the Investor of people-group category, while the Southern Sun Newlands hotel and the Riverside Lifestyle Resort reached the finals in the Best single resource management programme-water-group and Best overall environmental management system–group respectively.
“The process is an infinite one requiring ongoing effort and investment. At Southern Sun we understand the importance of creating an environmentally sustainable tourism industry and it will remain an essential component of our culture and brand promise”, concludes Graham.
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Darron Moore, general manager
“Have your event in a secluded manor house located in the most beautiful garden in the world, Kirstenbosch, and then wake up the
next morning with the fragrance of fynbos and birdsong” If you are looking for an exclusive and up market wedding reception venue or a place to have a productive meeting, then host it in the oldest and largest botanical gardens in South Africa, Kirstenbosch in Cape Town with the eastern slopes of Table Mountain as the backdrop.
The Kirstenbosch Manor House – built in 1913 – is an historical asset, governed by the South Africa Heritage Resource Act, and is therefore a protected building. The approach has been to refurbish and conserve it in accordance with the Heritage Resource Act. Being within the Garden means that the Manor is built on a World Heritage Site - giving it further value and appeal.
The venue will open early in March 2012 and will be offering facilities for conferencing, weddings, launches, meetings with an added 3 en-suite bedrooms for guests to stay over.
Kirstenbosch Manor House
HeritageSANBIBiodiversity for Life
In his second cookbook, Reuben Cooks Local , One&Only Cape Town’s Reuben Riffel, takes readers on a journey through one of South Africa’s most well-loved culinary repertoires and inspires a new Spring Menu at his celebrated city bistro.
Filled with over 230 pages of recipes and mouth-watering images by photographer Craig Fraser, readers are served delicious insights on what has inspired this talented chef and his rise through the South African restaurant
ranks to his famed Franschhoek eatery and more recent base at the One&Only Cape Town.
Guests at One&Only Cape Town and Reuben’s will be thrilled to know that many of the recipes from this latest cookbook will be making an appearance on the menu at the Cape Town restaurant. On this season’s menu, offerings such as the beef carpaccio with quail eggs, white onion and anchovy paste and Port-glazed springbok steak with celeriac and apple puree and fig salsa are sure to entice diners and readers alike.
The thrust of the book is about local produce, something Reuben is very vocal about.
“I’m passionate about local produce and always have been – it was never an academic or seriously considered decision for me; it’s the way that’s always made the most sense,” says Reuben, whose book is peppered with personal anecdotes from his childhood. From pink lady apples grown in nearby Elgin to salmon trout from Franschhoek, summery spanspek, Boland-grown and cured olives and oranges from
Citrusdal, Reuben’s focus remains on celebrating local cuisine. Showcasing both traditional ingredients and those that are experiencing a renewed focus, Reuben Cooks Local, is an extension of what Reuben set out to achieve with his first offering, Reuben Cooks.
“Although the book is different, I wanted it to be a continuation of the first one and I think we have achieved that with the food stories,” says Riffel. “I also wanted to do dishes that are slightly uncommon, that we don’t see every day, while recognizing all our local suppliers of good produce.”
Reuben Cooks Local is this hardworking and humble chef’s story. It is the delightful down to earth flavour that readers will no doubt relish. Reuben Cooks Local is priced at R390.00 within South Africa and is also available via www.kalahari.net
Reuben Riffel’s latest offering Chef Profile
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Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards – 2011 Winners
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Function Focus
Function Focus
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Oude Meester launches new brandy
FEDHASA Cape hosted a ‘Bridging the Gap’ evening for their youth members
TDM voted runner-up in ‘Best Overall Environmental Management System’ at the Imvelo Awards
Seen at the Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards – 2011
Function Focus
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Mauritius Goumet Festival at the Michelangelo Hotel
Southern Sun Cullinan and Reach for a Dream ‘Queen for a Day’ Event
Pillsbury Tubesets Cookoff
Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile
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