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Above:
Tastic Table of Unity,
SOUTH
AFRICA'S CAPE GOURMET FESTIVAL SPEAKS THE UNIVERSAL
LANGUAGE OF FOOD
  A
feast of fine cuisine and gourmet events takes to
Cape Town's streets, hotels, restaurants and coffee
shops when the 8th annual Cape Gourmet Festival
lifts the lid on the wonderful world of food from
9-25 May 2003. As one of only seven 'Cape of Great
Events' endorsed by the Western Cape Tourism Board,
the Festival has earned its rightful place as the
country's premier gourmet event with a plethora of
scrumptious food and wine related events taking
place in South Africa's Gourmet Capital. This
year's sizzling cast of international chefs
includes tasty master chefs from the UK, USA,
Italy, China, Ireland, Australia and India who'll
descend on the Mother City to indulge locals in a
menu of the latest flavours, trends and styles from
across the globe. South Africa's finest chefs are
joined by Boston's Ken Oringer, chef and co-owner
of Clio Restaurant; Italy's famed export, Valentina
Harris, who has her own cookery school in Tuscany;
Ken Hom, the leading authority in Chinese cookery,
and Indian chefs of the prestigious Taj Group for a
fortnight of non-stop culinary action. This year
the enjoyment of fine wines with food takes
prominence when celebrated connoisseur and founder
of the London International Wine awards, Robert
Joseph, brings his flair to the Festival. All the
international chefs are flown to Cape Town,
courtesy of SWISS International Air Lines, who have
pledged their support of the Gourmet Festival in
line with their commitment to quality, innovation
and service that makes them so undeniably
Swiss.
  The
Cape Gourmet Festival is all about serving a unique
menu of irresistible culinary events that saturate
the senses in world-class style. The pinnacle event
of the Festival, the Good Food & Wine Show
(22-25 May), sees the flocking together of
thousands of lovers of food and wine to a world of
tastes, flavours, workshops and live culinary
action under one roof. Fleur du Cap Restaurant Week
(9 &endash; 25 May) showcases Cape Town's
restaurant scene when more than 40 handpicked local
establishments offer inspiring two-course meals
with fine Fleur du Cap wines at very reasonable
prices. Fellowship is the essence of the
awe-inspiring Tastic Table of Unity (18 May) when
South Africans of all walks of life sit down to a
spectacular gourmet luncheon on the slopes of Table
Mountain in aid of the Festival's mayor
beneficiary, Red Cross Children's
Hospital.
 Local
is lekker when the Grand Opening Celebration (11
May) embraces all communities with authentic local
cultural cuisine and street entertainment in the
heart of the city. The Connoisseurs Celebrity Chef
Dinners (19 &endash;24 May) offer unparalleled
gourmet dinning when the international guest chefs
create their magical gastronomic masterpieces in
collaboration with executive chefs at the Table Bay
and Cullinan Hotels. The Table Bay also offers a
sublime afternoon High Tea prepared by world-class
festival pastry chefs.
The Festival ends with a
glamorous Grande Finale Gala Banquet (23 May) of
untold gourmet and glamour when the visiting master
chefs supported by the Table Bay's finest prepare
an unsurpassed culinary feast in aid of Red Cross
Children's Hospital. Since its inception the
Festival, has raised more than R2 million for
Africa's only dedicated children's
hospital.
The Gourmet Festival not
only brings the world on a plate to South Africans,
but also promotes local cuisine worldwide as one
the newest members of the prestigious World Gourmet
Club.
Acting as an umbrella
organisation for top-level international gourmet
events, the Swiss based World Gourmet Club gives
new meaning to the concept of gourmet tourism by
promoting the exchange of international culinary
expertise and facilitating trips to culinary events
all over the world.
Internationally acclaimed
and locally loved &endash; the Cape Gourmet
Festival is an exceptional eating drinking
shopping, looking, learning and laughing experience
that caters for everyone's taste.
MORE DETAILS ON THE TASTY
FESTIVAL EVENTS MENU:
GOOD FOOD & WINE
SHOW: 22-25 MAY
Cape Town's Good Hope Centre
is transformed into a gastronomic hub of a
multitude of foods, exciting exhibitions,
innovative workshop interactions and irresistible
bargains when the Festival's highlight event
&endash; the 6th Good Food and Wine Show &endash;
opens its doors as Africa's largest food and
beverage expo from 22-25 May.
Come and share in the
hottest cooking tips and savvy secrets when the
elite cast of South African and international chefs
cook up a storm in the Chefs in Action Theatre or
pep up your cooking skills under their watchful
eyes at an interactive Hands-on Workshop of your
choice.
Discover a brand new World
of Wine, Beer, Ale and Spirits and take a seat in
the world-class Good Taste Wine Theater, were
celebrated connoisseur and founder of the London
International Wine Awards, Robert Joseph, takes
centre stage with his entertaining wine
presentations. This foremost wine expert and
publishing editor of UK Wine Magazine also chairs
the all new SWISS International Air Lines Wine
Awards, to honour the best wines at the Show. It's
here where the spotlight will fall on smaller and
lesser-known wine estates!
For workshop bookings
contact the Gourmet Festival: Tel: (021) 465 0069.
more…
FLEUR DU CAP RESTAURANT
WEEK: 9-24 MAY
A handpicked selection of
Cape Town's finest restaurants offers delicious
two-course menus and superb Fleur du Cap wines at
very reasonable prices from 9-24 May. The marriage
of good food and wine and the upliftment of quality
standards of wine waiters lie at the heart of this
tasty fortnight and staff at participating
restaurants will be educated on the selection and
serving of wine prior to the event. All mineral
water will be sponsored by L'Aubade - pure mountain
water bottled by the Franschhoek Water
Company.
CONNOISSEUR CELEBRITY
CHEF DINNERS: 19-24 MAY Enjoy unparalleled
gourmet dining as top international guest chefs
create their magical masterpieces in collaboration
with executive chefs at leading Cape Town
hotels.
Boston chef Ken Oringer
teams up with Richard Makinson of the Table Bay
Hotel to treat fine dining connoisseurs to the
ultimate sophisticated dining experience in the
hotel's landmark restaurant, The Atlantic, from
19-21 May.
The spicy Indian chefs will
be flown in from the land of herbs and spices to
join Executive Chef Craig Elliot at the Cullinan
Hotel for an authentic Indian buffet in the Peach
Tree restaurant from 19-24 May.
HIGH TEA AT THE TABLE
BAY: 19-24 MAY
Tuck into a sublime selection of afternoon
treats, made to perfection by top-class Boston
pastry chef Alex Stupak, in the luxurious lounge of
The Table Bay Hotel from 19-24 May.
TASTIC TABLE OF UNITY:
SUNDAY - 18 MAY
Join celebrities and fellow
South Africans for an awe-inspiring gourmet
luncheon in a marquee on the slopes of Table
Mountain in aid of Red Cross Children's Hospital on
Sunday, 18 May. This year, funds and hearts will go
out to the hospitals Trauma Unit. A unity loaf,
baked by the Amy Biehl Foundation, will take pride
of place down the entire length of the table,
symbolising peace in the Rainbow Nation.
GRAND OPENING CEREMONY:
SUNDAY - 11 MAY
The Festival kicks off with
a homegrown celebration to embrace our own cultural
cuisine in the heart of Cape Town on Mother's Day,
Sunday, 12 May. It's an outdoor fiesta with plenty
of mouthwatering eateries, a local arts and crafts
market as well as a colourful platform for the
city's traditional and contemporary
music.
GRANDE FINALE GALA BANQUET:
23 MAY
The Festival pulls out all the stops with a
glamorous Grande Finale Gala Banquet at the Table
Bay Hotel on 23 May. This sophisticated black-tie
affair pampers guests to a spectacular
intercontinental 4-course banquet. Each visiting
master chef, supported by the Table Bay team, will
create a signature dish for the evening which
culminates in a charity auction with sensational
items going under the hammer in aid of Red Cross
Children's Hospital.
For more information on the
Cape Gourmet Festival happening from 9-25 May in
Cape Town, contact the Gourmet Festival offices at
Tel: (021) 465 0069,
Fax: (021) 461 0294 or visit
the Festival website at www.gourmetsa.com.
Issued by:Gudrun Clark
Communications
On behalf of: Cape Gourmet Festival
P O Box 27203 Rhine Road
8050, Suite 81
Roeland Square Cape Town 8001
Contact: Leanne LootsTel:
(021) 4620520; Fax: (021) 4620526
Contact: Christine Cashmore
Tel: (021) 4650069; Fax: (021) 4610294
Photos
at top of page and below by Sellwynn Davidowitz,
Cape Town
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