Whale Cottage Portfolio Blog

For the third year running, twenty of Franschhoek’s wine farmers are inviting wine and food lovers to visit their wine estates this coming Saturday and Sunday (4 and 5 September), to taste their new vintages, to eat specialities from the Gourmet capital of South Africa, and to enjoy French-style activities over a weekend of food, fun and wine.

Tickets for Franschhoek Uncorked cost R80 each, and can be bought at Computicket, or at any participating wine estate.  The full programme offered by the 20 wine estates is as follows:

*   Vrede & Lust will have a cigar lounge, Aston Martins will be on display, chocolate can be tasted and diamonds will sparkle

*   Plaisir de Merle will serve more of their lovely pancakes, offer live music, and for the first time offer bread made from flour ground in a historic water mill on the wine estate.

*   Allee Bleue will offer live jazz, and a tasting of their new Brut Rose’.  Smoked salmon croissants, Flammkuchen, Chicken Tandoori wraps, and Shrimp Guacamole wraps will be available for sale.

*   Solms-Delta will offer “Kaapse” music, food, and wine.

*   L’Omarins has the Franschhoek Motor Museum on its property, will make its Antonij Rupert Protea and Terra del Capo wines available for tasting, boules can be played, and gourmet sandwiches can be bought

*   Graham Beck will offer its Methode Cap Classique bubblies as well as wines to taste, and oysters, cheese and charcuterie platters will be available to eat.  Winemakers Pieter Ferreira and Erika Obermeyer will host masterclasses at R 75 a head, on Saturday and Sunday, at 10h00 and 14h00

*   Lynx Wines will have a Spanish Fiesta theme again, and live Spanish music will be played.  Tapas served include serrano ham and calamari

*   Topiary Wines will release their Rose 2009 and their Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. Visitors can blend their own wines. Live music is offered.

*   La Chataigne offers boules and live entertainment

*   Moreson offers live music, and a food market

*   Maison is the newest Franschhoek wine estate, and belongs to Chris Weylandt of Weylandt’s, and is now also a winemaker.   Food, jazz and wines will be offered.

*   La Motte’s new and Franschhoek’s latest restaurant Pierneef a La Motte offers Cape Winelands cuisine, a Farm Shop sells wines, gifts and farm-baked bread.   The new La Motte Art Gallery, one of the rooms dedicated to the priceless paintings by Pierneef, has opened, and a classical guitar recital will be hosted on Saturday evening.

*   Glenwood will host a Boules Trophy, and is pairing its wines with gourmet food prepared by Camil and Ingrid Haas, previously of Bouillabaisse and Camil’s, serving Bouillabaisse, Chicken Curry and Crepe Suzette.

*   Rickety Bridge offers tapas too, and its Top 10 Shirazes.  Live music, boules, as well as farm rides in their Dodge truck are also available.

*   Grande Provence offers live music, five vintages will be paired with five dishes, a Chef’s Table is offered, and the Grande Provence Pinot Noir will be launched.  Cheese and charcuterie boards will be available.

*   Franschhoek Cellars offer cheese and wine tastings, as well as cheese lunches

*   Dieu Donne offers live music, Vineyard platters, “wine-infused casual food”, and micro-beer on tap

*   Cabriere offers a wine tour and tasting, with a Sabrage, at 11h00 on Saturday and Sunday

*  La Petite Ferme offers wine tours, and salmon and wine pairing at R120.

*   Boekenhoutskloof will launch The Chocolate Block 2009, a band will provide the “gees” and Reuben Riffel will offer his famous Reuben’s Barbeque Experience.

Further details can be obtained from the Franschhoek Tourism Bureau, Tel (021) 876-3603.

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

George Jardine is a highly respected chef, and has been a regular on the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards list.  His move to the Jordan Winery in Stellenbosch, to open the mouthful of a brand name ‘Jordan Restaurant with George Jardine’ in November last year probably cost him the Top 10 listing, but has been a welcome lifestyle change for him and his family.  The new restaurant has added substance to the Stellenbosch Restaurant Route, and to Stellenbosch taking over the Gourmet Capital crown of South Africa.

The setting of the Jordan wine estate at the end of the Stellenbosch Kloof Road is special, with lots of birdlife, and no traffic noise.  A huge dam in front of the winery and the restaurant attracts even more birds.   The parking area reflected the popularity of the restaurant, filled with cars on a Friday afternoon.   A compliment to the chef is that Hein Koegelenberg and his wife Hanlie (Rupert) of La Motte had brought some of their staff for a treat (their new Pierneef a la Motte restaurant opens in the next few days), whilst Gary Jordan (Jordan Wines owner) also had a table of eight in the restaurant.  I enjoyed chatting to both.

When I reviewed Jardine’s in Cape Town, I noted that George Jardine was not visible in that restaurant, despite marketing information which led one to believe that Jardine would be looking after his Cape Town restaurant a few days per week.   This does not seem to be the case, as Jardine is very hands-on in his restaurant at Jordan’s (one has to remain sober to get around the Jordan/Jardine brand names)!

The restaurant brand name is on the building near its entrance door (but not visible from the parking area), in silver lettering, adding a modern touch to a building that is not!  It looks functionally designed and built from outside, and this perception does not change when one is inside.   The interior is a Jardine’s Cape Town deja vu - the open plan kitchen (much bigger preparation space here though), functional interior, some paintings of pomegranates and figs, very functional kitchen counter from the customer perspective, almost old-fashioned, not particularly attractive lightwooded chairs, and modern stacking glass doors. The lovely overlay over the white tablecloth reminded me of Overture’s new tablecloths.  The glassware and cutlery is average, but I noticed David Walters’ ceramic touch in the square side plate.  The serviette seemed superwhite, of very good quality.  The waiters look neat in white shirts, black pants and black aprons.

The waiter Andrew was perfect - not pushy, not arrogant, helpful, informative, patient in answering all my questions, just disappointing when he did not e-mail the winelist on the same day, as promised (it appears he had delegated this to Jardine’s wife, who did not attend to it until I called for it).  He presented the menu on a black leather holder (similar to that of Overture, Majeka House and others I have seen recently).

The first thing I noticed on the menu was the date with a weather description “A misty 23rd July”.   One has two choices on the menu - a three-course Menu Du Jour winter special at R 180, and R220 if one has two wines - one does not have any choices on this menu.   Alternatively the three-course a la carte menu allows one to choose two dishes for R 200, and 3 courses for R225, and one has up to four choices per course.   There is little difference in value between the two options, and therefore I ordered from the a la carte menu.

The winelist is cute and neat, a small square size, bound in a black leather cover, and each page has a quotation relating to wine on it.  Corkage is indicated at R50, and only one bottle is allowed.  The winelist is introduced as follows: “This is a selection of wines we enjoy. Each bottle is full of love, passion and a story and if you listen carefully with your taste buds some part of that story may show, explaining terroir, slopes, altitude, climate and other interesting details. A wine however is not made by one person alone, much like the food you are about to enjoy. Thousands of people from farms, most of which can be seen from where you are sitting, have had an effort in making your wine – whether that is planting, pruning, squashing or bottling it. Please enjoy our effort in presenting their effort.”

The wine range contains a mix of Jordan and other wines, and the price band is such that it offers an affordable wine for every pocket.  Wines-by-the-glass are surprisingly affordable, a glass of Chameleon (a Jordan brand) Rose’ costing R25, and a glass of Jordan Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mellifera does not cost more than R40.  White wine bottle prices start at R90 for a Chameleon Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay, peaking at R700 for a Jordan CWG Auction Reserve Chardonnay.  De Waal Pinotage costs R85, a Jordan Sophia R963.   While the winelist shows vintages, it does not describe any of the wines. I ordered a glass of Jordan Syrah 2006, which was very smooth, smoky and full-bodied, reminding me of a shiraz made the old-fashioned traditional way.

The bread plate was the most creative I have ever seen, refreshingly different, and reflects that Jardine is an ardent bread baker.   The square bread plate had a bowl of aoili, a block of farm butter, crisp strips made from sweet potatoes, and a breadstick made from vetkoek dough.   It wasn’t just the individual items that looked amazing, but the way in which they were presented made it look like a course in itself.

What I found interesting, having been at Jardine’s in Cape Town where ”organised chaos” seemed to dictate food presentation, is that Jardine is very angular, his food presented in square containers.  The starter, for example, was presented on a black slate tile (I remember slate at Jardine’s in Cape Town for the cheese platter) and this was set inside a square glass container, with a serviette neatly placed between the two containers, making its presentation look very smart.

The duck liver parfait starter, with a confit duck bonbon rolled in sesame seeds, served with prune and celeriac chantilly and tiny slices of toasted brioche, was melt in the mouth (the bonbon had been left off the plate by mistake initially).  Other starter options were Saldanha Bay mussels, pan fried west coast mackerel, and hand rolled fettuccini.   The main course arrived after about a 45 minute wait, which seemed long, in that I had run out of questions to ask, been to the bathroom, and read all my Twitter updates.  My main course intrigued me, in that it was not any old pork, but “Penny Verburg’s suckling pig roasted”, which was served with braised cavolo nero (a type of black cabbage), parsnip and gremolata.  Penny is the wife of Botriver-based Luddite winemaker Neels Verburg, and she has a good hand with organic pig rearing, Andrew told me.  The pork was thinly sliced, and every now and again one had a bite of the thinnest pieces of crackling, giving good mouthfeel as well as taste. Other starter choices were Chalmar ribeye, hake, and gnocchi.   I felt that I had hit the jackpot in both choices, they were so outstanding.   I didn’t have any dessert, but I could have chosen between chocolate souffle, an interesting sounding baked Pimm’s creme catalan (just saw a very similar dessert on the La Colombe menu), or a cheese board.

The Menu du Jour was Vichyssoise with a warm salad of sauteed tongue, gnocchi and gremolata; braised veal brisket; and chocolate hot pot with vanilla ice cream and praline.

I will go back to Jordan Restaurant with George Jardine, on a summery day, so that I can sit outside, and try more of Jardine’s creations.   It is a pity that Jardine is so hands-on that he does not allow himself to leave the kitchen at all to greet his customers, a contradiction as he is visible to all diners, but he makes no eye contact, and barely responded when I thanked him for the lovely lunch when I left.

Jordan Restaurant with George Jardine, Jordan Winery, Stellenbosch Kloof Road, Stellenbosch.  Tel (021) 881-3612.  www.jordanrestaurant.co.za (The website is not operational.  Surprisingly, no information about the restaurant is available on the Jordan Wines’ website www.jordanwines.com ). Open for lunch Wednesdays - Sundays, and on Thursday and Friday evenings for dinner.

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

It’s been confirmed!  Six-time Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Chef Richard Carstens is to be the Executive Chef of a new improved Tokara restaurant in October, after a week in which the rumour circulated, was denied by the Tokara Ferreira family, and was finally confirmed by a media release on Friday.   The move creates a culinary hub in the Helshoogte Pass, with the two Delaire restaurants across the road, and the Pass being a link between the competing gourmet towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, and adds further weight to Stellenbosch now wearing the Gourmet Capital crown and for it to establish a Restaurant Route. 

Tokara restaurant has been an institution for the past ten years, and was vacated by Chef Etienne Bonthuys last weekend, as he is opening a restaurant on Dorp Street in Stellenbosch.    Bonthuys has not always been the easiest of chefs and restaurant owner, so new owner Wilhelm Kuehn, co-owner of Jardine’s in Cape Town, will have to rebuild the brand to attract new patrons, whilst retaining the Bonthuys regulars.  Kuehn plans to build the Tokara restaurant to be on a par with the highly regarded Tokara wine and olive oil product brands, to create synergy between the three entities.  

Carstens is not known for his long-term staying power at restaurants (the exception being his five year tenure at Lynton Hall), but Kuehn says he is hoping for a long-term relationship with his new chef.   The media release states that Tokara Restaurant will be focused on contemporary cuisine.  “Each plate of food will offer the diner a sense of the natural environment and the location of the restaurant as well as the current season through the ingredients used”, says Carstens.     The menu contains “unfussy a la carte options as well as a more playful tasting menu, each course optionally paired with a glass of Tokara wine or a selection of other premium South African wines”.   There will be no molecular gastronomy at Tokara, a distinctive Carstens’ trademark, but not appreciated by all.  A bar will be built in the foyer, from which one can enjoy the wonderful views onto the Tokara vineyards and onto Stellenbosch.

Asked about the future of Jardine’s in Cape Town, Kuehn said that nothing will change.  Eric Bulpitt is their Executive Chef, who is off to a 6-week stint at Noma, the world’s top of the 50 Top Restaurants list, until mid-September.  Sous chef Julie will hold the kitchen fort at Jardine’s in Cape Town.    A manager will be appointed for the Tokara restaurant.   George Jardine has no involvement with Tokara at all, and still is a co-owner of Jardine’s in Cape Town, although his focus is Jordan Restaurant with George Jardine in Stellenbosch, said Kuehn.

Richard Carstens is contracted to Chez d’Or in Franschhoek until September, but the association is a disappointing one.   Read our review.

Tokara Restaurant with Richard Carstens will open in October, serving lunch from Tuesdays - Sundays, and dinner from Tuesdays - Saturdays.

POSTSCRIPT 1/8: Richard Carstens left Chez d’Or on Wednesday, the day of our review, two months ahead of his contract ending with the Franschhoek restaurant.

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

The Delaire Graff restaurant in the Helshoogte Pass, which opened in June, is another threat to Franschhoek’s status as the Gourmet Capital of South Africa.   The restaurant is likely to be a Top Ten contender in 2010, given that restaurants have to be at least a year old to qualify for nomination.  

Stellenbosch already has three Top Ten restaurants, and Delaire Graff may well be a fourth next year.   This could make Stellenbosch take over the Gourmet Capital crown from Franschhoek, an accolade the beautiful French Huguenot village has claimed for many years.   It currently only has one Top Ten restaurant, i.e. Le Quartier Francais.

Delaire was bought by Lawrence Graff,  Chairman of Graff Diamonds International, in 2003, previous owners having been Erica and John Platter, well-known for their Platter wine guide.   For the past six years the estate has been rebuilt to house the winery, the tasting venue and space-extravagant restaurant.   The entrance from the Helshoogte Pass has been remodelled, and is impressive with its stone-work wall, alongside which is the landscaping work by King of Gardening Keith Kirsten.

From the Helshoogte Pass one can see that the building is well-lit at night, and almost comes across as too “Caesars Palace”!   Fortunately the lighting is not in one’s face, so to speak, on arrival.   The locals may find it too bright and over the top, however. 

The only jarring experience is the poor welcome by the outsourced security guard, who opens the right hand gate, struggles to get the pin to hold the gate into the fitting for it, then takes his time to ask for the surname, and a mobile number.   He accepts all answers given and lets the guests in, but first has to open the left hand gate, a slow and time-wasting exercise.  One wonders how effective the guards (we counted five in the hut as we drove out) will be should there be an illegal attempt to enter the property.

The parking area is graced with statues welcoming one, and a staff member comes towards one in the parking area.   A limp handshake and an inaudible introduction are quickly forgotten when one is greeted by the hostess, who seats one in the restaurant, and places the serviette on one’s lap.   She explains that she is our hostess for the evening, but we do not see her again.   On the way in we are welcomed by the Maitre’d William van der Merwe, previously with The Big Easy.

The low-key menu offers a good range of dishes, with starters ranging from R 88 - R 115, mains around R 155, and desserts between R 65 - R 85.   Delaire wines range from R 110 for a bottle of white to R 280 for a red.

The estate is looking after its carbon footprint, and the generous garden and the bottling of its spring water in glass bottles for its exclusive use at the estate bear testimony to this concern.

The restaurant’s focal point is two orange leather wave-shaped couches which are linked to 16 tables, and they are well-matched to the William Kentridge painting in the restaurant.   The building resembles a distinctive art gallery, with works by Kentridge, Anton Smit, Lionel Smit, Dylan Lewis, Deborah Bell, Fred Schimmel, Frank Benson, Sydney Khumalo, Nicolas Moreton, Durant Sihlali, and Johannes von Stumm.

The skill of the Maitre’d is put to the test, when a request is made for a tasting portion of the crayfish lasagne, the most interesting sounding dish on the menu.  The richness of the dish prevents the customer from ordering the dish on this visit.  William does not flinch, and soon a more than generous tasting portion is served - it is heaven, a definite must for the next visit, prefaced by a two-day fast!   Christian Campbell is the chef, previously at the Cellars-Hohenhort Hotel in Constantia.

The fillet and sirloin steaks arrive perfectly done, the chip and mash portions are very generous, and the sauces are well suited to the steak.   The meal is ended off with a ball of choc chip ice cream and a cappuccino, with which chocolate coated coffee beans are served.

The cost of two main courses, a bowl of vegetables, a glass of Delaire Shiraz, the ice cream and cappuccino was R 448. 

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Last month The Franschhoek Month asked guest house owners and managers to provide feedback about the service levels of the restaurants in Franschhoek.   The outcome was that there are many good aspects about the service offered by the local restaurants, but criticisms were raised about the quality of service experienced by some accommodation establishments and their guests.  Guest houses fed back that they receive little acknowledgement for the business that they send to the restaurants.

We asked all the restaurants in the village to answer to the compliments and complaints that the guest houses raised, and the full article was sent to them.   In fact, 6 weeks ago every restaurant was asked to supply information to the topic, and a paltry three restaurants responded.   Two weeks ago they were requested to respond again, and follow up calls were made to many restaurants.   Calls were not all returned, and responses ranged from “we are so busy”, “if we had 5 minutes to spare, we would spend it on other priorities” and “we are so busy preparing for Topsi’s function”.   Once again, only three restaurants replied.

Can the restaurants be serious?   Can they have that little interest about a topic that should be of concern to every tourism player in our Valley?   We are known as the Gourmet Capital of the country – it is not only the food quality, but the service quality too that makes a restaurant outstanding.  

We salute those restaurants that did take the time and trouble to provide input to this article.  They reflect a care and interest in their customers which the silent ones do not appear to.

One of the newest restaurants is the Italian Allora.  Philip Aplas, the locally based owner, and co-owner of three other Allora restaurants in Johannesburg, is refreshing in his relationship building, and understated way in which he is building his business in Franschhoek.    He says:”We are grateful for every guest sent to us. We are having a dinner on the 4th of May to thank the guest houses that supported us during the season.    We are launching our Allora Miles program, to thank the guest houses that send business to us.”   The reward program will award miles for reservations made, and this will qualify the holders of the Allora cards to receive gift vouchers, and a variety of other prizes, depending on the number of miles they have ‘clocked’ up in referring business to Allora.

Haute Cabriere has been outstanding at recognizing the value of the relationship between itself and the accommodation establishments in the Valley, and hosts the establishments just before the start of the new summer season.   “Certainly from our point of view we appreciate the synergy between the many Franschhoek restaurants and the numerous accommodation establishments in the Franschhoek Valley. It is undoubtedly one of our main focuses when gearing up for a new season, to make sure that we take the time to thank these establishments for their support and brief them on any changes or developments planned for the upcoming season. On any given day during season I would say that the restaurant is 90% booked up with guests that have been booked into the restaurant by their local hotels or guest houses and we are certainly appreciative of this fact” says Haute Cabriere’s Nicky Gordon.

Gordon would like to see a reciprocal communication relationship between her restaurant and accommodation establishments:  “I do feel though that restaurants should be kept informed, by the guest houses, on a regular basis, about feedback from their guests. It is most beneficial to us to hear what comments are being received (both good but especially negative if any) so that we get an opportunity to rectify or improve on certain areas. It is certainly no help to any restaurant for a guest houses owner to just to stop sending business without phoning to follow up and hearing the other side of the story.”

Burgundy has an agreement with some guesthouses and referrals are done between them on a regular basis.  They receive feedback from the establishments as to how the customers enjoyed their meal at the restaurant.

“We do not rely heavily on Guest Houses booking at Rickety Bridge Restaurant as we are only open during the day. Our walk in trade has been really good and I think that if we were to open at night, our marketing efforts would definitely have to be more accommodation based” says Cindy Miller, of the company that manages Rickety Bridge, a popular wine estate, wedding venue and restaurant just outside the village.

“What I can say about the relationship between restaurant and accommodation is that when we launched a Tapas menu at the beginning of the season and invited 20 guest houses over two days (15 – 20 per day) to experience our Tapas– only 3 arrived”, added Miller.

Guest houses and self-catering establishments send their guests to the Salmon Bar for “great coffee, excellent breakfast - freshly baked artisan breads are a big part of this, lunch all day and dinner from Wednesdays to Saturdays.  We are seen as a breakfast and lunch venue of choice, and have more competition at night. We are relatively new (1 year) and are still building relationships” says Judy Sendzil, the owner of the Salmon Bar.   The Salmon Bar invites guest house owners who send clients to them for dinner, to thank them for the business received.

Aplas understands how vital service is, and staff training is an important foundation of his Allora restaurants.   “When we train staff at Allora, we always stress that the three most dangerous factors in the restaurant industry are complacency, arrogance, and fatigue.  All need to be managed carefully.   As the newcomers to the village, we are doing all we can to improve our service and quality levels at all times, and hope people will continue to take notice.”

Rickety Bridge has seen huge staff movement in Franschhoek.  “I think many of the points raised by the (accommodation) establishments are valid.  I have found a vast difference in the caliber of staff in Franschhoek compared to my staff in town – it has taken us ages to build a team at Rickety Bridge and we had to “import” some waiters from Cape Town and house them on the Estate!   During this time our service suffered (as did some of our guests) and it was a very painful birth from a staffing point of view. “

What I have personally found is that good waiters do the rounds – I have seen good front of house staff move around from one good restaurant to another in the time that I have been involved in Franschhoek and since I do not believe in poaching waiters and waitresses, we have endured the long road and trained from scratch” added Miller.

Gordon also talks about the challenges of staff recruiting and training:  “With regards to standards of service, this is always a huge commitment and task for any restaurant owner. We all employ largely local staff and the time and challenge spent training is often underestimated. Most of the staff have never eaten in restaurants themselves and have never heard of some of the menu items on offer that they are expected to sell to foreign and local tourists.“

“At Haute Cabriere we offer a tasting for staff before each new menu comes out and also focus on pronunciation of the dishes and a general test on the menu before it is launched. This is an ongoing and arduous task. The fact that for most of the front line staff, English is at best a 2^nd language provides even more challenges in this regard, especially when they are faced with foreigners with different accents and sometimes limited English.  These are all issues restaurants in the bigger cities do not often have to contend with as there are thousands of university students seeking part time and casual work and they are spoilt for choice! “

Restaurant owners and managers are also customers of the other restaurants, and shared their views about the service levels they have experienced in the local restaurants.   One restaurant owner wrote:  ‘Many of the staff of the restaurants that I have dined at have an attitude that is rather poor considering that they are in the service industry.   Most restaurants are manager run and it shows.   The general attitude is that they will be full with or without you. Service levels certainly aren’t up to scratch at the moment.’

Are guests and accommodation establishments too critical of the local restaurants?   The owners of Burgundy restaurants think that this may be the case: “We should keep in mind that each establishment has a character of its own. We cannot be everything to everybody.  We can only do our very best to give the customer a good experience. I have heard guests and guesthouses alike giving criticism and tearing apart top award winning restaurants in Franschhoek many times. I fail to understand this”.

“I’ve often read that the credit crunch will bring about a new order, where true service will be paramount. It is maybe time for us in the service industry to remind ourselves of the meaning of the word ’service’, and thus what it means to serve another person.   Franschhoek in general is in need of an attitude adjustment towards its patrons. Tourists aren’t here because of Franschhoek businesses, Franschhoek businesses are here because of tourists.     A continued drop in standards will kill Franschhoek as a tourist destination, and will affect us all” says Aplas.

Burgundy’s owners would like to make a difference, “but we keep to ourselves and conduct our business quietly, ridicule and backstabbing took care of that.    We are willing to work with anyone who reaches out to us. It is my personal opinion that this stunning little town still suffers of a “small town mentality” and that this will hamper its efforts to overcome the difficult times ahead.”

Gordon sees it differently:  We are very fortunate in Franschhoek to have a set up that is ultimately beneficial to both the restaurants and accommodation establishments. The food and wine reputation of the valley without doubt brings in hordes of tourists to the area and fills up both the accommodation establishments and as a result the many restaurants. A win win situation for us all!

“Is it not possible to create a tourism awareness campaign that is aimed at all residents across the spectrum, to educate and remind us all on how important tourism is (directly or indirectly) to each one of us?” a most relevant question asked by and challenge coming from Allora, which we will ask Jenny Prinsloo of the Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourism Association to address.

We need to safeguard our priceless marketing point of difference in Franschhoek in being the Gourmet Capital of the country, an attribute that is unique and unprecedented for such a small village.   We do not own this attribute for the sake of it, and will have to work very hard to have more restaurants on the Top Ten Eat Out restaurant list at the end of the year.  It is not the food quality alone that is rated – service quality, from the call being taken for the booking, the service efficiency in the restaurant in serving the food and beverages, to the speedy presentation of the bill, is also an important criterion. 

The poor response to this vital topic from the local restaurateurs is most worrying, and reflects a degree of arrogance from our local restaurants, the exact arrogance that Aplas warns us about, combined with the small town politics Burgundy’s owners write about and have been experienced by many, that can lead to our downfall in Franschhoek as far as our gourmet reputation and therefore tourism future goes.

This article was written by Chris von Ulmenstein and first appeared in The Franschhoek Month, May 2009.

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.

Champagne corks will be popping in Franschhoek at the beginning of December, when the third Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival takes place. 

Champagnes on show will include Billecart Salmon, Laurent Perrier and Joseph Perrier, while local Cap Classiques such as Boschendal, Bon Courage, Colmant, Constantia Uitsig, Graham Beck, Krone, Pierre Jourdan, Pongracz, Simonsig and Steenberg will be sparkling the palates of bubbly-lovers.  

The Festival takes place on 6 and 7 December and entrance costs R 180, including a flute and vouchers to taste the delicacies of the best restaurants in the Gourmet Capital of South Africa.   Tickets can be booked at the Franschhoek Tourism Bureau at tel 021 876-3603.