September 3, 2007
By Millicent Kgowedi
MOVE over Ainsley Harriot - South Africa's own chefs are reaching for celebrity status through Taste of Joburg, a new concept food and drink festival.
The four-day festival runs from 6 to 9 September at Wanderers Club in the plush northern suburb of Illovo. It is modelled on the successful British festival, which was first held in 2004. Top Joburg and Pretoria chefs and restaurants - 17 in all - will be preparing food and drink in sample-sized signature dishes, which visitors will get to taste.
Justine Drake, the well-known food writer and festival director, says Taste of Joburg "is an incredible opportunity to highlight the talents of local chefs and to begin to build up the celebrity status they so richly deserve".
It is organised by Brand Events South Africa. "The incredible line-up of top Joburg restaurants and chefs reach the exact visitors that so many food and drink companies spend all year trying to reach," says Craig Paterson, the company's managing director.
"Taste festivals are sophisticated yet fun events that attract an extremely upmarket audience. I have no doubt that Taste will be the most exciting food and drink event ever to hit Joburg."
Chefs whipping up a tasty little something for the show include Raymond Rundle, Rudi Lienberg, Philippe Wagenfuhrer, Stefano Strafella, Nicky Gibbs, Aristotle Ragavelas, Zane Beer, Arnold Tanzer, Dino Colossus, Christina Sato and Dario de Angeli.
Participating restaurants and companies include Prosopa, Fino, Food on the Move, La Cucina Di Ciro, Roots @ Forum Homini, The Dining Room at the Grace, the Saxon and Yum Nostalgia. The menu will include French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Mediterranean, Japanese, sushi, Asian, fusion, Thai, international and contemporary cuisine.
Besides tasting the offerings, visitors will be able to watch the chefs in action, with demonstrations, cooking challenges, entertaining cooking lessons, and question and answer sessions at the chefs' theatre.
Fine wines and champagnes, beers, lagers and ciders as well as spirits and liqueurs from across the world will put in an appearance, while the Stella Artois Beer Academy and Beer Experience will hold hourly beer classes.
Wine experts will run a daily programme of wine tasting, tutorials and advice on wine and food pairing.
"There will be 56 exhibitors showcasing their merchandise; Smirnoff, Fashion TV and many other participants will have stands," Paterson says. There will also be live music.
Taste of Joburg runs from Thursday, 6 to Sunday, 9 September at Wanderers Club in Illovo. The afternoon session starts at noon and runs for two hours. The evening session starts at 5pm and ends at 9pm.
Tickets are available at Computicket. Entrance costs R120 and crowns, the festival's currency, must be used to buy food and drink. A package costing R500 can be bought, including entrance and crowns. Crowns can also be bought at Taste of Joburg.
Each crown is worth R5 and dishes cost between four and eight crowns.
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