Whale Cottage Portfolio Blog

Franschhoek will be hosting the third annual ‘Magic of Bubbles’ Cap Classique and Champagne Festival at the Huguenot Monument from 4 - 6 December, sponsored by Investec, allowing bubbly lovers to taste the best of both French and South African sparkling wines.

The imported bubbly brands represented at the Festival will be Billecart Salmon, Joseph Perrier, and Laurent Perrier, while local brands are Avondale, Bon Courage, Boschendal, Bramon, Cape Chamonix, Colmant, Dieu Donne, Du Preez,  Genevieve Mcc, Graham Beck, Groote Post,  JC le Roux, Krone, Hout Bay Vineyards, Kumkani, La Motte, L’Avenir, Morena, Morgenhof, Nitida, Pierre Jourdan, Seidelberg, Silverthorn, Simonsig, Steenberg, Topiary, Villiera, Weltevrede and Woolworths.

Not only will the visitors taste the best of bubbly, but they will also be able to taste delicacies of the Franschhoek restaurants, which include Cafe Allee Bleue, Dieu Donne, Haute Cabriere, La Petite Ferme, Le Franschhoek, L’Ermitage, Mange Toute, Monneaux, Grande Provence, and Salmon Bar.

Tickets cost R 180 for a tasting glass and 10 tasting coupons, and can be booked at www.webtickets.co.za.  The dress code for the Festival is ‘white with a touch of black’.   The Festival runs from 18h00 - 22h00 on 4 December, and from 12h00 - 18h00 on 5 and 6 December.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

This week marks the official launch of two competing but neighbouring restaurants in the new Cape Quarter extension on Somerset Road in De Waterkant.   Cru Cafe’ (see review here) has been open since the beginning of the month, but celebrated its launch on Tuesday.  Vanilla has also opened, and its launch evening is on Friday.   In general, these are the two ’serious’ restaurants in this new lifestyle centre, that is set to take off as Capetonians discover its unique combination of high quality shops.   Lazari is a restaurant that disappointed on a first visit, with a shrieking pink interior, and the restaurant staff and the patrons being unsure as to which of their two terraces are for smokers and non-smokers!   The visible food preparation area when one enters the restaurant is enough to put one off from entering and sitting down!

This week saw the opening of the long-awaited Crepe et Cidre in Franschhoek, near Huguenot Fine Chocolates.  It belongs to Robert Maingard, the largest hospitality owner in the village, also owning Le Franschhoek, and Dieu Donne, and he is also set to open a sports bar in the old station building soon.  He is opening two further restaurants in Franschhoek, on opposite sides of the main road, when he completes the malls next year, one being on the current Pick ‘n Pay site and the other on the site where the Huguenot Hotel was located.   Crepe et Cidre will be run by Gerhard van Staden, previously chef of the Le Franschhoek.  The creperie has “imported” Yann Guyonvarch from Brittany in France to train the staff in crepe-making.  His true French accent is a delight, but his stay will be a short 2 weeks.  Imported French cider is served.

At La Brasserie in Franschhoek, the Friday jazz evenings will start again tomorrow (30 October), and the opening session will be dedicated to the launch of a CD ‘Tribute to Alex van Heerden’, who played with the Cape Dutch Connection, and passed away tragically.

In Hermanus the new Hermanos restaurant has opened in the building in which Joubert restaurant operated before closing down earlier this year, with a new chef and owner Wayne Spencer.  He was originally the Executive Chef at Birkenhead House in Hermanus, and at Phinda Game Reserve, and worked at the Michelin-starred Port Palace in Monaco.   He says of his new restaurant that it is fine-dining but that it is not intimidating, and he will not place a lot of emphasis on plating the food.  He intends to come out of the kitchen, to chat to his guests, which is commendable - too few chefs do so.   The menu is small, with 5 starters (R36 - 48), 7 mains (R68 - R 110), and 4 desserts (ranging betwen R 30 - R 40), and sounds interesting. The winelist is more extensive, and is very proudly-Hermanus.  The restaurant is open Mondays to Saturdays for dinner only initially, and can be booked at tel 028 313-1916.  

The Seafood at The Marine restaurant in Hermanus was a pleasant surprise earlier this week, when the most delicious kingklip was served.  The restaurant offers a choice of two courses at R 180 and 3 courses cost R 215.   A number of irritations on arrival - struggling to find the booking on the reservation list and a wobbly table - were sorted out when addressed, and the Relais & Chateaux crested butter arrived rock hard, so much so that it was unspreadable.  The restaurant has no ambiance, it being too brightly lit and it not having any attempt at a decor focus.  But the food cooks, and the hand of Executive Chef Peter Tempelhoff, a previous Eat Out Top Ten chef whilst at Grande Provence, is evident.  The biggest surprise was the presentation of three scoops of ice cream on a block of ice, serving a functional as well as an aesthetic role.   The whale-shaped biscuit served with the coffee, whilst not new, remains a cute and clever touch.   The service is friendly and willing, and a miscommunication between the waiter and the kitchen was quickly rectified.   No senior management was visible all evening.   The cloakrooms are most disappointing for a five-star hotel, and the owner Liz McGrath would do well to invest some monies in upgrading these at The Marine.

The speculation in a previous WhaleTales blog post that Ginja is to move to New Church Street (between Buitengracht and Kloofnek Roads), into the previous Relish and Nova restaurant space, has been confirmed by the EatOut website.  “Executive Chef Chris Erasmus will continue the Ginja legacy with his playful take on gastronomy, abundant with colour, texture and taste - using the finest local produce”, the website says. 

Allee Bleue in Franschhoek is hosting its first Sushi and wine-pairing evening on Friday 6 November, at R 195, with a miso soup and tempura prawn starter, and five main sushi courses, each paired with a different Allee Bleue wine.   The dessert is a green tea brulee.  Chef Dane Newton, previously at Chamonix, is known in Franschhoek for his sushi.    In addition to Allee Bleue’s Bistro, the new Winetasting Courtyard 5-item menu, and the scrumptious picnic baskets, a small beer garden menu is also available to be enjoyed with the Paulaner draught beer served at the lower end of the estate.

Jordan wine estate is opening its The Restaurant at Jordan on 21 November.   The e-mail sent to announce the opening looks amateurish, and is an instant turn-off, as one is asked to commit to the food one would like to eat on that day, and the exact time slot in which one would like to eat it in.  Payment must also be done by bank transfer prior to arrival.  For a weekend treat, a visit to a wine estate is enjoyed in leisurely fashion, without being so prescriptive!  George Jardine of Jardine is the new chef of the country restaurant.

Cafe’ Sofia is boldly advertising its seven branches (Green Point, Camps Bay, Sea Point, Rondebosch, Gardens, Greenside and Blouberg) in a striking half-page advertisement: “Come and experience our new 2010 menu, the best breakfast in town or Happy Hour Cocktails.  You may be in for a surprise”.  The Happy Hour cocktails are priced at R 25 for cocktails and R 15 for beer on tap between 17h00 - 19h00, while breakfasts range from R 19 - R 29. 

It was a food book launch week last week, with“Franschhoek Food”, written by Myrna Robbins, featuring the main chefs of Franschhoek’s restaurants, and some of their favourite restaurant menu recipes, as well as wine pairing suggestions.   “South Africa On a Plate” was also launched, a book featuring restaurants that deduct R 5 off the patron’s bill to go toward the Streetsmart charity.   A three-course dinner suggestion, with the recipes, is featured for each restaurant.   Grande Provence, Cafe’ 1999, Jewel of India, Auberge Michel, Ginga, Haiku, Rust en Vrede, Jardine, La Colombe, Ninth Avenue Bistro, Myoga, Mosaic, Bosman’s, Hartford House, Roots, The Saxon, Ile Maurice, and Terroir are some of the restaurants included in the book.   The inspiration for the book comes from Jess Meredith-Watts and his fiance’ Louise, who were touched by beggars on the streets, and felt that they could make a difference, by giving all the profits of the book sales to the Streetsmart charity.   More details about the book are available here.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com

A new coffee table book, called “Franschhoek Food” and written by Myrna Robbins, was launched in Franschhoek earlier this week.

Focusing on top Franschhoek restaurants, including Reubens, Haute Cabriere, Grande Provence, Bouillabaisse, La Residence, Genot and Dieu Donne, a number of recipes of each restaurant are included in the book.   Each dish also has wine pairing suggestions.  

Myrna Robbins is a wine writer for the Weekend Argus, started the Cape Town Slow Food Convivium, has published five other books, and contributes to ‘Fodor’s Guide to Southern Africa’.

“Franschhoek Food” is published by Random Struik and costs R 340.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com

Franschhoek is saluting spring and celebrating its wine wealth with its third annual Franschhoek Uncorked festival this weekend.  Instead of celebrating the best Franschhoek has to offer in one central venue in the heart of the village, 24 of the village’s best wine estates are inviting winelovers to visit the wine estates.  Each participating wine estate is offering something unusual for the weekend.

So, for example, L’Omarins, Rickety Bridge, La Bri and Glenwood are each laying on boules courts; Lynx Wines will offer live flamenco music; Mont Rochelle offers a fun photo session with barrels, bottles and wine props; Plaisir de Merle will serve their yummy crepes for the third year running; Rickety Bridge is serving gourmet picnics and helicopter flips;  Topiary Wines are serving sandwiches, curry, and other treats from Cafe’ Bon Bon; Vrede & Lust is launching its new Mocholate Malbec Wine Blending competition;   Alle’e Bleue is offering a sushi demo and the Sterling Electric Quartet will perform on Saturday evening; Boekenhoutskloof will offer a barbeque prepared by Reuben’s; at Cabriere one can see Achim von Arnim’s art collection, and compete in the Pierre Jourdan Strongest Throwing Arm Competition; Chamonix has a French style “Marche’ de Bourgogne” at Mon Plasir restaurant, with French treats such as terrines, snails, puff pastries, cheeses and breads for sale;  Dieu Donne’ offers a jazz band;   Graham Beck is serving sushi and oysters; Grande Provence offers an art exhibition by Jenny Groenewald; La Bri is having a snoek-braai;  La Brasserie goes ‘Uncorked and Unplugged’ on Friday evening; and La Motte serves Claude Bolling’s classical jazz on both evenings, 

Winetasting tickets cost R 60 each, and can be bought at Vrede & Lust (at the Simondium end of Franschhoek), at the Tourism Bureau (Info Centre) on Huguenot Road in Franschhoek, or online at www.webtickets.co.za.   The ticket allows unlimited access to all the participating wine estates.  More details and the full programme are available on www.franschhoek.org.za. 

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

A number of Franschhoek restaurants are offering good value winter specials:

Allora: 3-course winter meal R 85, one free children’s meal for every main course ordered, Sunday roast R 95, complimentary Gluehwein, and delivery of pasta.

Bouillabaisse:   Food and wine pairing 4-course dinners on Thursdays at R 225

Burgundy’s:   Daily specials, including oxtail (R 78), soup (R 40), pasta (R 65), savoury pancakes (55), cakes (R 28). Free glass of wine per main course.

Cotage Fromage:   10 % off main course if have two courses for lunch

Dieu Donne: Friday evening “Pub Fair” at R 75 and 25 % off Dieu Donne wine and beer

French Connection:  Set menu for R 125 Monday - Friday lunch and Monday - Thursday dinner, also sandwich or pita plus glass of Pierre Jourdan Tranquille at R 60.  Christmas in July at R 225, with contribution to charity, date to be announced.  

Genot: 3-course set menu at R 150

Grande Provence:   2-course lunch and dinner R 150, 3-courses R 195 and 4-courses R 240 Mondays to Saturdays.

Haute Cabriere:   2-course set menu Monday - Friday lunch, and Friday and Saturday evenings, R 100 per head 

ici:   chicken, glass of wine, and a movie at R 120, on Wednesday and Saturday evenings

La Petite Ferme:   Friday evening winter “loosen your belt” dinners, 3-course set menu R 150 + carafe of wine

Reubens:  2-course set menu at R 130 and 3-course set menu at R 150

Further details about  the Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com 

This article was first published in the July issue of The Franschhoek Month.

The Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourism Association is to be congratulated in preparing a programme of events for winter, with the title of “Franschhoek Affair”, promising “eclectic experiences in the month of June”, to attract feet into town and ‘bums into beds’!   

On Fridays potter David Walters will teach glass slumping and raku firing; Judy Sendzul of the Salmon Bar will take interested person for fly fishing followed by lunch at her restaurant; bread making will be taught at Bread & Wine; Izak Rust will do a guided walk on interesting trees in Franschhoek; Siegfried Schaefer and Rob Armstrong will lead a fynbos and photography excursion; Danielle Craddock is running a “Feel Great Fitness Boot Camps”; a wine tasting walking tour incorporates Mont Rochelle, Chamonix and Dieu Donne; Niel Jonker will lead  “Painting the Landscape in-situ” sessions;  Geddon Ruddick will take cyclists on a Mountain Bike ride; and Bouillabaisse will spoilt participants with specials on their warm lunches and dinners. 

More details are available from and bookings can be made at the Tourism Bureau tel 021 876-2861.

This article was written by Chris von Ulmenstein, and was first published in the June 2009 issue of The Franschhoek Month.

Franschhoek is to turn French on 30 May, when the Alliance Francaise and the Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourism Association turn the town back to its French Huguenot roots for the day.   

While Franschhoek has many French farm, restaurant and accommodation names, only a handful of its residents are able to speak French.    It is known for its French roots, and celebrates Bastille Day every year.

The Franschhoek day a’ le francais starts with a champagne tasting with JP Colmant and Ludwig Maske, is then followed by a lunch at Mon Plaisir, by a game of boulles at Dieu Donne, and then a dinner and a movie at ici at Le Quartier Francaise.   During the whole day nothing but French will be spoken!

The price for the French Franschhoek day is R 800, and bookings can be made at the Franschhoek Tourism Bureau at tel. 021 876- 2861.

Franschhoek wears the crown of the Gourmet Capital of South Africa, with its Wedding Capital stature growing.  The wines of the valley also bring tourists to the area, together with its beauty.

The Eat Out 2009 results may have been an early indicator.   After many years with at least two or three restaurants on the Top Ten restaurant list, we only have one restaurant left on the list, and Franschhoek is in danger of losing its status to neighbouring Stellenbosch as the Gourmet Capital of South Africa.

We asked the accommodation establishments to give us feedback on their views of the service levels offered by Franschhoek restaurants to themselves and to their guests.   The feedback is offered anonymously, to protect the identity of the brave accommodation establishment owners and managers who provided their feedback, and to ensure that they are not banned from any of the restaurants, as has happened in Franschhoek!

Accommodation establishments are an important source of bookings for restaurants, with most guests relying on the recommendation of their hosts to recommend and book restaurants for them.  Only a few guests make their own restaurant bookings before arriving in Franschhoek.  

Spontaneous mentions of restaurants the establishments book for their guests for lunch or dinner are Kalfi’s, Allora, Le Bon Vivant, French Connection, Haute Cabriere, Dieu Donne, La Petite Ferme, Laborie in Paarl, Boschendal Le Piqnique and  Monneaux.

The restaurants that accommodation establishments send their guests to are the ones from which their guests return happy, with their expectations met or even exceeded, that offer a free collection and drop-off service as do Monneaux and Dieu Donne,  that offer a consistent quality of excellent food, excellent service, good ambience, good value for money, being able to make bookings without any problems or errors, being able to expect a positive reply when the guests are asked about their enjoyment of the restaurants,  superb setting, personal attention from the staff, being offered a table a day at certain restaurants but released by a certain time of day, and tend to be those at which the owners of the establishments enjoy eating at as well.

Some accommodation establishments do not send business to a specific restaurant, because they do not know it, because they or their guests have had a bad experience there previously, because they are too expensive, because the “booking service is sloppy”, because of poor service recovery when there is a complaint,  because of poor service from the waiters, and because of the food not being up to Franschhoek standards.    A bad experience reflects badly on the accommodation establishment, in that it recommends the restaurant, and therefore such restaurants quickly fall off the recommendation list.

Sometimes establishment owners are forced to book at other restaurants because their favourites are fully booked or have a closed function.

The accommodation establishment’s owner or manager is likely to recommend the restaurants that are their personal favourites.    This places a huge responsibility on them to recommend restaurants that will make their guests happy too.   Reasons for a restaurant becoming a favourite include the ambience, the service and food quality.

One self-catering establishment owner no longer recommends restaurants, having received negative feedback from her guests, and therefore she sends the guests to the Tourism Bureau, so that they can look at the menus and book the restaurants there.

Service levels of restaurants were seen to be good and not good enough.   Those that laud it, say it is good value for money, and improves all the time, the staff are friendly, and this can often make up for a slip in service delivery.    Those that criticize it, say that restaurants say they are fully booked when an accommodation establishment calls, yet take walk-in bookings.   They complain about “the emphasis is overwhelmingly ‘looks-like-French-cuisine’ but it is patently plastic when the entire package is evaluated.   Local-is-lekker takes a distinct backseat in Franschhoek”.  Service levels are seen to be dropping.

Suggestions to restaurants for improving service levels to accommodation establishments making bookings is to reserve a table per accommodation establishment until a certain time every day, because they are often booked out on the same day.   A restaurant map, as the Vignerons one, would be useful, it was suggested.   Better staff training, given the high turnover of staff in restaurants, to prevent the staff training on their customers, offering a wider range of wines-by-the-glass, offering wines at better prices, displaying accommodation information in restaurants, much like the accommodation establishments tend to display the menus of the restaurants, to not provide reservation numbers for bookings made, to not confirm bookings to the accommodation establishments, as they have no control over their guests’ actions, and to not request credit card details to secure tables at restaurants.

Restaurants would not be happy with no-shows, when accepting bookings from accommodation establishments, and this could annoy them in dealing with establishments. Accommodation establishments cannot be held responsible for the bad manners and actions of their guests, and make bookings in good faith.   The point was made that no restaurant can afford to be unhappy with accommodation establishments making bookings at a restaurant, for whatever reason.

Restaurants tend to not thank the accommodation establishments for the business they receive.    “It would be nice with the odd free (or price reduced) meal, even in winter when they are slow.  We have never received acknowledgement” said one guest house owner.   Another view is that Franschhoek is dependent on its restaurants for its gourmet status, and that no tourists would stay there if we did not have such good restaurants.  Also, some guests may think that one has shares in the restaurant, or that one receives commission when one recommends a particular restaurant too strongly!   One owner expressed the fact that he has not been to all the restaurants: “As locals we find the cost of “test’ dining at Franschhoek restaurants prohibitive”.  He states that his establishment probably therefore does not support the more upmarket restaurants.   “A formal thankyou will be nice” said one owner, while another said “restauranteurs do not need to thank you for your business…   A general note of thanks is appropriate and good and consistent service is also adequate.”

One exception is Haute Cabriere, the only restaurants that appears to understand the reciprocal relationship that should exist between the parties, in offering accommodation owners and managers a complimentary lunch once a year, just as the new season starts.   This enables the restaurant to explain its menu changes, and it gives the accommodation owners a good feel for what is on the menu.

Generally the readiness for 2010 is questioned and the service levels are not seen to meet the challenge of this important sports event.   But will 2010 impact Franschhoek at all, a manager asks.   Another view is that Franschhoek’s fine dining and wining may not be of interest to a fast-food and beer soccer fan, and it is questioned whether Franschhoek has enough large screen and fast-food type establishments to allow communal viewing for the soccer fans.   One owner said Franschhoek’s service levels should be perfect at all times, not just in winter 2010.

An accommodation owner was very vocal about Franschhoek’s businesses not being very welcoming to tourists and residents.   He complained about surly supermarket cashiers and shop assistants, beggars in the streets, dirty streets, faded road markings, potholes, tattered flags, bare flag poles, the “scruffy” Post Office, untrimmed street trees, unkempt gardens, unpainted buildings and walls, “scruffy” sidewalks, and “wonky” road signs, all of which create a poor impression of Franschhoek.

This article was first published in The Franshhoek Month, April 2009.

The Franschhoek Wine Valley may soon change its name to the Franschhoek Wedding Valley, if the trend to an increasing number of weddings taking place in and outside Franschhoek continues!

The value of wedding tourism has never been calculated for Franschhoek, but could easily be in the region of R 25 million per year in direct venue and catering income, and double that when expenditure on accommodation, wine, restaurant meals and shopping in  Franschhoek before, during and after the wedding is added. 

Wedding Tourism has become a vastly important source of revenue for the Western Cape, and for Franschhoek particularly, and the valley will soon be called the Wedding Capital of South Africa, in addition to being the Gourmet Capital already.  Between 50 – 100 weddings take place in Franschhoek per month in summer, it is estimated.

Some wine estates have indicated that their revenue or profitability is greater from weddings than it is from their wine production!

How did this all come about?

For the past few years an increasing stream of young South African school leavers have left to do a gap year in London, while university graduates have also sought greener pastures there.  Many have opted to stay in London, due to their earning ability.  The young South African ladies get engaged to their British beaus, and get to choose the wedding venue back home.  Nostalgically, they think of the Cape Winelands, and the Cape Dutch gable buildings on them in particular, even if they did not grow up in the area.

Wedding tourism benefits tourism generally in that 50 - 100 British friends and family will come to South Africa to attend a wedding, and this introduces the country to many first-time visitors, who would not necessarily have chosen this country as a tourism destination.         

The value of the Wedding Tourism industry in the Western Cape has been estimated at R 120 million, according to The South African.   The United Kingdom is the major source of wedding business, with the bride usually being South African and the groom from the UK.    For the price of a wedding and reception in the UK the couple is able to hold a lavish wedding and enjoy their honeymoon in South Africa.    Local weddings are attractive as the weather is guaranteed to be better than in the UK, they cost less, and offer a variety of appealing venues in the Winelands and at top restaurants.  

While Stellenbosch used to be the premier wedding destination just a few years ago, local tourism players have seen an increasing number of weddings taking place in Franschhoek.   The large wine estates surrounding Franschhoek are well placed to cater for large weddings.

Jenny Prinsloo, CEO of the Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourism Association (FWVTA), says Franschhoek is well placed to be the perfect wedding venue for large and smaller weddings, offering an exclusive and personalized service to wedding guests wishing to make the most of their most memorable day.   “It is an exotic destination” she added, and well set to provide top quality catering, wines, professional staff and beautiful settings

Has the credit crunch affected the wedding industry in Franschhoek?   Most wedding venues state that the number of weddings they have hosted this season, and bookings ahead, show that the number of weddings will remain roughly the same.   However, what has changed is a shift in the period in which they are being held, the days of the week on which they are held, and the number of persons attending a wedding.

Karen Minnaar of the N G Church says that the number of bookings for the church for weddings will be down slightly, to 40 this year, from 44 last year, the best year for the church as far as weddings go.    She predicts that the number of weddings will not increase next year.   Up to 90 % of the weddings taking place at the church are held on Saturdays.    Most weddings are with “mixed” couples, a term a number of wedding venues used to describe the South African/UK partnership between bride and groom.

What does a wedding cost?     It can range from R 150 000 for a wedding of around 150 guests, up to R 500 000 at the exclusive La Residence, and this includes the wedding venue, food and wine only.  All other weddings services such as décor, music, special wedding cars, flowers, etc are contracted out and paid for separately.

The largest wedding venues are Allee Bleue, Le Franschhoek Hotel, Boschendal, and Vrede & Lust.

Allee Bleue’s Ashley Whaley, co-GM, says that weddings earn more revenue, and are more profitable at this stage than the estate’s wines.    Wedding bookings have increased year on year, and she sees an increasing number of international brides and grooms.  The estate prides itself on being the largest wedding venue in the Valley, in that up to 220 wedding guests can be accommodated.   The average wedding size is 150 guests.   Up to three weddings are hosted per weekend in summer, making it about 10 – 12 per month.  The wedding ceremony is conducted in the Conference Room, which is dressed as a chapel, and the reception takes place outside, with a free-form tent catering for less favourable weather conditions.   Allee Bleue’s weddings have the benefit that there is no noise control, and that they can carry on late, being located outside Franschhoek.

The Le Franschhoek Hotel is a popular wedding venue, especially as it can accommodate a large number of the wedding guests in its 79 rooms as well, being the largest hotel in the Valley.   Sunette Pringle, Head of Banqueting, says the hotel’s wedding business is growing year on year, and the hotel hosts one wedding per weekend.  She is not seeing a reduction in wedding business for the season ahead, but does see “international” weddings becoming smaller, with about 30 – 80 guests, while South African wedding groups are around 100 in size.   The Hotel has a number of Americans marrying at the venue, in addition to South African and British residents.  

Boschendal fits the Cape Dutch gabled building requirements of wedding couples most perfectly, and is steeped in tradition and history.  The ceremony is usually held at the nearby St George’s Anglican Church, drinks are served outside under the oak trees, and the reception is held in the restaurant.   The wine estate sees itself as a restaurant first and foremost, and does not actively encourage weddings.  Its catering offering offers bridal couples less flexibility in that the buffet must be utilised.   The estate only hosts one wedding per month with up to 120 guests on average, says Boschendal’s Neil Els.

Vrede & Lust is one of the most sought after venues, and is trendy since Johannesburg socialite and TV personality Gerry Rantseli married her second husband on the estate last year.   The wedding was featured in the Sunday Times’ social pages.   Wiena Riedel, Hospitality Manager of Vrede & Lust, sees a definite reduction in the size of their weddings this season, down from around 120 guests to about 60 – 70, and attributes this to the global credit crunch.    It is one of the most active wedding estates, with an average of six weddings per month, which can increase to 12 in March.  The estate is seeing an increase in weddings held on weekdays, due to the 15 % discount it offers for mid-week weddings.

Smaller weddings are held at Grande Provence, Mont Rochelle, Haute Cabriere, Dieu Donne, La Petite Ferme, Rickety Bridge, Le Manoir de Brendel , Franschhoek Country House, and La Petite Dauphine.

Mont Rochelle caters for weddings with an average size of fifty guests, and has seen a trend to smaller and more intimate weddings.   They host only one or two weddings a month, so that the hotel operation is not affected.  La Petite Ferme also focuses on its restaurant business, and will not accept wedding bookings between November and February.  It caters for about two weddings a month in the remaining summer months, with about 60 – 80 wedding guests.  If the bridal couple want dancing, they have to book all the accommodation at La Petite Ferme.    Wilmari Dippenaar, wedding co-ordinator at La Petite Ferme, says she is satisfied with the number of wedding enquiries she is receiving, and cannot see any change due to the downturn.

Dieu Donne has only been open for a year, but can also see a steady increase in its wedding bookings, with one to two per month and up to 140 guests per wedding.   The ceremony is held on the downstairs terrace, with the superb backdrop of the Valley, and the Reception in the restaurant upstairs.

Rickety Bridge Winery can cater for up to 85 guests, and offers an attractive wedding package with accommodation on the estate and at the neighbouring Basse Provence.  One wedding is hosted per week, and this booking level continues until April.   Cindy Muller says that the Winery offers its wedding clients good value for money.  Franschhoek is attractive because of its beauty and proximity to Cape Town, and the village “is steeped in romance”, she says.

Le Manoir de Brendel has its own chapel and spa, and is a popular venue because of this feature.   Shirleen Waskis, who co-ordinates the estate’s weddings, says that the last two summer months have been on par with last year as far as wedding bookings go, but sees a decline for this month.  She says that the next three summer months will be back in line with the past year.  Wedding sizes have reduced, and bridal couples are becoming more demanding, wanting more for less.   The property can cater for about 50 guests in the chapel and in-door venue, and can accommodate larger weddings in its gardens.  

La Petite Dauphine is one of the newest wedding venues, and caters for small intimate weddings, of round 30 wedding guests, but can accommodate up to 100 guests.   Marie-Louise Oosthuizen manages the weddings, and says that her clients are mainly locals, from Cape Town.   The venue only hosts day-time weddings, and February and March are particularly good wedding months.   She says that for smaller weddings, her guests are likely to book the accommodation over a four day period, and a series of wedding-related activities are planned for the wedding guests.    She has also seen a trend of an increasing number of same-gender weddings being held at her venue.

Haute Cabriere is one of the few Franschhoek restaurants focusing on weddings.  Nicky Gordon says Franschhoek is a popular wedding venue because of its natural beauty and setting, which makes for good wedding photographs, and it offers a good spread of accommodation, from 5 star indulgence to 3 and 4 star value for money accommodation.    The restaurant has 2 – 3 weddings per month from November to mid-year, and is a popular venue for winter weddings, given that it can host the service in the wine cellar, and the reception in the restaurant.   An increasing number of foreigners are getting married at Haute Cabriere, with one of the couple being from South Africa originally.   Gordon does not see a decline in the wedding business due to the credit crunch, whilst the restaurant is seeing the downturn for meal bookings.   

Wedding tourism is a huge contributor to the tourism industry, and Franschhoek benefits from it in the summer months.   It is not only the wine and wedding estates that benefit from weddings, but also many other tourist sectors.

In “mixed” international weddings, the South African bride recommends the accommodation, car rental, restaurants, and trips to take before and after the wedding to her wedding guests, thereby making the planning of the trip to South Africa easy.   The bridal couple offers more than just a reception, to “compensate” for the far distance the friends and family have travelled, and the money they have spent on the ticket and the trip - often a wedding in Franschhoek will be followed by a picnic at Boschendal the day after, and a sailing trip may precede a wedding whilst the group of guests is in Cape Town prior to the wedding.   

Weddings convert tourists to regular visitors, given their surprise and delight at the beauty, value for money, safety and quality they experience in the Winelands.

Dieu Donne in Franschhoek, which celebrates its first birthday in December, deserves the first WhaleTales Sweet Service Award for hosting the accommodation industry of Franschhoek and Paarl earlier this week at their restaurant with a most stunning scenic view, and for saying “thank you” for the bookings received from the industry.  These two words are not often heard from the restaurant industry, which seems to take it for granted that guest houses will send them business.   Restaurants are the only sector of the tourism industry that do not pay commission for business received.    

The first WhaleTales Sour Service Award goes to Melissa’s Food Shop, the deli store with various branches in Cape Town and Stellenbosch.   The cashier at Melissa’s on Dorp Street in Stellenbosch cheekily asked for a tip when payment was made for a bill at the counter. This was addressed with the Customer Service person at Melissa’s Head Office (Melissa is too busy to interact with her customers about complaints), when she returned the customer’s call five days after the message was left.  She stated that it is Melissa’s policy for the staff to ask about a tip when none is left!    Asking for a tip could reflect to customers that the staff are not paid enough!    The nomination for the Sour Award was sent to Melissa van Hoogstraten, owner of Melissa’s, but she declined to comment.

The WhaleTales Sweet & Sour Service Awards are presented every Friday on the WhaleTales blog.  Nominations for the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be sent to Chris von Ulmenstein at info@whalecottage.com.