HARTFORD HOUSE RESTAURANT

Anne Stevens has long ranked among the nation's top food critics. Certainly in KZN, she's the "Queen of Critics". She recently visited us :

The five-course dinners at Hartford House near Mooi River are R325 a head.

Is that expensive? Not at all, bearing in mind that one of the country's top chefs is in the kitchen, and getting better and better with each year of maturity.

Jackie Cameron is now so confident of her abilities that she allows herself little dashes of humour in her cooking, like a Maltabella ice cream at breakfast, a deconstructed peppermint crisp tart after an elaborate dinner and a lamb bunny chow made with mealie bread at lunchtime.

The highlight of a recent dinner was a deeply intense brown mushroom soup made with shiitake powder and truffle oil.

Its flavours lingered and it was perhaps wise to follow it with something fresh and light : Norwegian salmon tartare with cream cheese, smoky olives, microherbs (the new buzzword), lemon zest and croutons.

The play of textures and flavours was fascinating, and echoed in the next dish : seared springbok loin salad with pink peppercorns, beetroot, candied walnuts and little cubes of foie gras terrine.

With all that going before, and appetite pretty much sated, it was perhaps inevitable that the main was less memorable. But crispy Midlands duck breast with potato spaghetti, butternut puree, hazelnuts and cinnamon-infused red wine sauce would stand out on most restaurant menus.

Then the peppermint crisp tart, broken into individual pockets of chocolate, mint, cream and crunch.

There is a new lunch menu, served on the deep veranda in good weather, featuring the likes of local trout with almond potato cream, smoked salmon salad with nori seaweed terrine, and asparagus with exotic mushrooms in a Caesar dressing.

A duo of rabbit - hot terrine and loin wrapped in parma ham - sounds inviting, as do gorgonzola capelletti with olives, green beans, apple, toasted walnuts and walnut oil.

But then just about everything at Hartford is appealing.

It features one of my favourite breakfasts of all time : poached haddock sitting on a tuna fishcake, dressed with caviar, rocket and a subtle black sesame seed sauce.

Just add a corn fritter from the full English breakfast, and you have a winning way to start the day.

It's going to be interesting to watch what direction Jackie takes in the years to come.

Booking is also essential here : 033 263 2713

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SUNDAY TIMES FOOD AWARDS
2010

The Sunday Times, in association with Foodcorp, is looking for South Africa's hottest talent in the kitchen. The partnership is committed to supporting South Africa's chefs and food innovators through the awards.

Now in its fourth year, the competition aims to recognise and reward the country's top chefs - and it offers the largest prize money in South African chef competition history.

There are four categories in the competition - Sunday Times Chef of the Year, Sunday Times Young Chef of the Year, Sunday Times Chef School Challenge and a new category, Sunday Times Stalwart of the Kitchen. In each category, entrants are required to submit a menu using uniquely South African ingredients from a predefined list.

Hartford House's own award-winning chef Jackie Cameron is one of the judges for the competition and was interviewed recently by Hilary Biller. Following is an extract from the article published in yesterday's Sunday Times :

Q&A

Q : You are listed by SA Tourism as one of South Africa's young and upcoming chefs to watch. How does this make you feel?

A : Recognition always inspires me to continue re-inventing myself. It also increases the pressure of not wanting to disappoint the many people who have and are working with me.

Q : Has it been difficult being a woman in a male-dominated arena?

A : Definitely not. This has in a way pushed me to prove my worth. My parents, especially my father, brought us girls up knowing that anything is possible and that we have to work just as hard as any man if we want to get anywhere in life. Hard work and determination are the keys. But, at the same time, we girls should never lose our femininity.

Q : Hartford House, where you are executive chef, is known as one of South Africa's gourmet destinations. What gives the hotel the edge?

A : It's the only one in the world situated on a world-class stud farm.

Q : You are heading off to dine at El Bulli restaurant in Spain. Is chef/owner Ferran Adrià one of your food heroes?

A : Of course Adrià is one of my food heroes. Who would not be inspired by his creativity and absolute devotion to the cooking industry? I heard the other day that 90% of anything new in the world that a chef claims he or she created was inspired by something that has already been done.

Q : The emphasis today is on fresh, locally sourced ingredients. List three of your favourite suppliers.

A : I love keeping it local : Swissland Cheese for their goat milk cheese, La Petite France for their superb camembert and Wayfarer Trout for their fresh trout.

Q : What are three things every cook should know?

A : When in doubt, strain.

A : Any ingredients that grow under the ground, such as potatoes, must be cooked in cold water to start and anything above the ground, such as cauliflower, must be cooked in boiling water.

A : Always cook with the best quality ingredients you can afford. Never compromise on quality.

Q : If your kitchen was on fire, what would you grab?

A : The hand-written recipe books I have had in my kitchen, at Hartford House, for nearly eight years now. Each page tells a new story with all the different writing styles. Nearly every person who has been through the kitchen has written something in these books.

Q : Like all famous chefs, you must break down occasionally. What is your favourite takeout?

A : Mine is Chinese food, but I realised recently, after a trip to Shanghai, that the Chinese flavours I enjoy so much in South Africa are not necessarily the flavours one finds in China. I love "South African Chinese food", such as sweet-and-sour pork with noodles and fried rice.

Q : What dish have you failed to make successfully?

A : Putu pap. I never seem to make it as well as the ladies in the kitchen.

Q : What dish has your name all over it?

A : Our soups at Hartford represent my main basic principle about food - to always keep things simple and always highlight the main ingredient. Never over-complicate and confuse flavours.

Q : As a judge in the Sunday Times Food Awards, what advice would you offer prospective entrants?

A : Cook what you know and cook it well.

Q : What is the value of entering chef competitions?

A : It is a brilliant way to showcase a chef's talents and allows one the opportunity to grow and develop.

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Zandile Nontwana Mnchunu
features in Kulula in-flight magazine

"Zandile is chef de partie at Hartford House, the multi-award-winning hotel in the Midlands. We caught up with her before a life-changing trip to Shanghai.

Q : Where did your love of cooking come from?

A : I don't know really, but my earliest memories are of making mieliepap with my mother. I loved those special occasions when she made curry and rice. I was always fascinated by how food can emphasise happy or sad moments in the life of a family.

Q : Did you always mean to become a chef?

A : It was not really something I thought would be possible. I started right at the bottom - I was in the scullery, but head chef Jackie Cameron noticed I loved to cook, and allowed me to take up the challenge of fine-dining cooking. I had no idea where my love of cooking would take me, but now I’m going with Jackie to represent South Africa and Hartford House at the Shanghai World Expo for a South African food and wine week. I can hardly believe it!

Q : What do you plan to do while you're in Shanghai?

I want to learn about the food and culture of the Chinese. I have already started researching how to say 'hello', 'goodbye' and 'thank you' because I want to be able to greet people. Most of all, I want to teach them to cook the way we're doing it at Hartford and in South Africa."

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"New Flavours, Exciting Experiences and Inspiration"

The dining room tables at Hartford House have offered me unusual opportunities. One of these has been the chance to meet and build lasting relationships with people who have been instrumental in advancing my career. Carla and Alberto Ferrari immediately spring to mind. They have homes in Switzerland and Shelly Beach on the South Coast. It was their love of South Africa - and Hartford House achieving House and Leisure's best restaurant award - that afforded me the opportunity to participate in Michelin Star Kitchens in Switzerland. What an experience!

My five-course South African tasting menu comprised of ingredients such as freshly-picked butternut, springbok, sweet corn, Karoo ostrich and biltong. I am always amazed at the quality of produce sourced by international chefs. Language barriers can pose a problem but I'm noticing more and more that food has no language - except of course the language of love! There's a fusion of the world's many flavours happening. This means traditional tastes are being modernised, reinvented and/or reinterpreted. Countries are adopting one another's flavours and this was illustrated in the meals I ate in Switzerland.

I hope you enjoy some of my latest ideas starting with a crispy, hot pizza topped with room-temperature smoked salmon, creamy cream cheese, freshly-picked, slightly-peppery rocket and a drizzle of lemon olive oil. A perfect light lunch option filled with exciting textures.

A richer alternative is "Vitello Tonnato", a traditional, Italian veal dish topped with a tuna sauce. I viewed this as a new-age, tuna mayonnaise and couldn't wait to get home to try out my version.

We all know how well Parma ham and fresh melon combine. Next time you serve it try marinating the melon in mint syrup before wrapping in the Parma ham. Oh so refreshing!

I unexpectedly crossed the border one day for lunch in Italy. Choosing a traditional Caprese salad withFocaccia bread and Gnocchi Gorgonzola seemed the right thing to do. And it was. What a meal!

On my last evening Carla cooked rare beef fillet. Never have I enjoyed such quality meat abroad. And, the sauce with the beef is without doubt the best and easiest home-cooked accompaniment I know. Try it!

I enjoyed an extremely productive week filled with new flavours and exciting experiences that promise to inspire the creation of many more dishes to be shared with you, my family and friends.

And as they say in Switzerland, depending where you are, bon appétit (French), buon appetito (Italian), mahlzeit (German), bien appétit (Roman) and enjoy your meal (English).

Take these recipes and try them.

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House and Leisure / Visa Best of SA Awards

House and Leisure magazine has announced the finalists in the 2010 Best of SA Awards, in association with Visa. These awards celebrate the best hotel, spa, lodge and restaurant in the country as voted for by House and Leisure readers.

"We have narrowed down the search this year to the top five finalists in each category and now give readers the opportunity to vote for their favourite spot," says Naomi Larkin, editor of House and Leisure magazine. "The finalists represent the best South Africa has to offer, from urban chic hotels and world-class spas and restaurants to luxurious country lodges."

House and Leisure / Visa Best of SA 2010 finalists :

Hotels :

• The Owner’s Cottage (Franschhoek, Western Cape)
• The Oyster Box (Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu-Natal)
• Shamwari Townhouse (Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape)
• 15 On Orange (Cape Town, Western Cape)
• Kurland (Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape)

Spas :

• Fordoun Hotel and Spa (Nottingham Road, KwaZulu-Natal)
• Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa (Knysna, Western Cape)
• Karkloof Spa (Karkloof, KwaZulu-Natal)
• The Saxon Hotel and Spa (Sandhurst, Gauteng)
• Equinox Spa (Cape Town, Western Cape)

Lodges :

• The Homestead (Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal)
• Singita Sweni Lodge (Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga)
• Granite Suites, Londolozi (Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Mpumalanga)
• Tswalu Kalahari (Near Kuruman, Northern Cape)
• Bushmanskloof Wilderness Reserve (Cederberg, Western Cape)

Restaurants :

• Hartford House (Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal)
• The Tasting Room (Franschhoek, Western Cape)
• La Colombe (Cape Town, Western Cape)
• Marianas (Stanford, Western Cape)
• Restaurant Mosaic (Elandsfontein, near Pretoria, Gauteng)

House and Leisure readers stand a chance to win amazing prizes in the House and Leisure / Visa Best of SA Awards. By voting for the winning hotel, spa, lodge or restaurant, four lucky readers will each win a five-star trip for two to one of the winning establishments. For more information on how to vote, see the August issue of House and Leisure magazine.

House and Leisure is the authority on "Stylish SA at home and play". It is South Africa’s beloved premium home-grown shelter title, showcasing the South African dream : stylish homes and people. Inspiring decor. Delicious and innovative food. Inspiring travel and leisure. House and Leisure's readers are discerning, up-market pleasure seekers who are at home in South Africa and the rest of the world. House and Leisure is their trusted guide, celebrating what matters to them most - their homes, passions and pastimes.

House and Leisure won the Best Décor and Home magazine award at the recent AdVantage AdMag Awards.

For more information please visit :

www.houseandleisure.co.za

THE SPRINGBOKS, 
THE DURBAN JULY AND RACING'S GREATEST DAY OUT

This is not a rugby selector's statement; it comes from a hotelier. World Cup-winning Springbok tighthead prop, Brendan Botha and his lovely wife Tarryn, were back at Hartford again this week after his torrid Tri Nations tour to Australasia. In the peak of health, "BJ" assures us there are only a few small things wrong with the Springbok team at the moment, requiring a few "tweaks", and all will be well. Brendan and Tarryn are among a number of sporting fans of Hartford, including former Springbok rugby captains, Gary Teichmann and Francois Pienaar, coach Jake White, and former Proteas cricket captain, Shaun Pollock. Brendan also has the distinction of being an alumnus of that fine sporting institution, Durban High School, the most prolific school academy in the production of international cricketers in the world, though it has to be said, this man is a rare rugby Springbok.

Closer to home, we have a "horsey" weekend ahead with the greatest of the greatest, the Vodacom Durban July on Saturday, and "Racing's Greatest Day Out", the Summerhill Stallion Day, right here on the farm on Sunday. We’ll be feeding close to 700 people from at least 14 different nations this weekend, and looking at Friday evening's guest list at Hartford, apart from the equine contingent, we have the return of one of television’s most recognised personalities in Martin Locke, Isidingo's Carolyn Steyn andVodacom man on the screen, Michael De Pinna, who will be entertained by Waterford's lyrical winemaker, Kevin Arnold. It takes all types to make up a race meeting!

Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

There have been many stories written about Elizabeth Graham, who enjoyed extensive attention ininvestment guru, Warren Buffett’s biography. Her legend arose through her fearless stewardship of the worlds most celebrated newspaper, The Washington Post, which famously broke the news on Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal.

The Post is represented at the World Cup by Steven Goff who penned this note on his impressions of his favourite South African city :

Oh Durban, where have you been my whole World Cup?

I never made it to Cape Town (the San Francisco of Africa) or Nelspruit (the remote city on the edge of Kruger National Park). I spent too many days in bustling Johannesburg and too many hours on the road to and from Rustenburg.

And now with the World Cup winding down, with four teams and four matches remaining and my departure a week away, I have discovered what is surely South Africa's most appealing venue: Durban. It's Miami Beach with a world-class stadium a few hundred yards from the Indian Ocean. It's surfers and sandcastle artists, beach soccer and beach cricket, art deco hotels, a casino, seaside Indian restaurants, soft winter breezes and temperatures in the 70's.

Beach Festival offers carnival rides, jugglers, artisans, surf lessons, an official FIFA Fan Fest viewing areaand seven piers - essentially, a boardwalk scene without the boardwalk. Or fried dough.

Cargo ships the size of El Salvador interrupt the horizon on their way to Durban Harbor, the busiest in Africa. Hotels and apartment buildings line Marine Parade, the beach road.

Like any resort stretch, there are upscale blocks and downscale sections. You'll find me in the dumpy high-rise with 1970's-era, brown-spotted design curtains and an air conditioner lodged into the wall on the alley side of the building. (Steps from the sand, what do you expect for $110?)

The crowds strolling the promenade are a mix of white, black and Indian. There are local families, pasty World Cup fans, street performers, fast-talking hustlers ("official" Adidas sunglasses for 50 rand - $6.50? Sold!), aggressive beggars, gossiping teenagers, and a heavy police and security presence.

A 15 minute stroll north brings you to Suncoast Beach, where colorful rickshaws and their entertaining owners await customers. It's a service dating from the early 20th century. Behind a casino/mall/multiplex theater stands seven-month-old Moses Mabhiba Stadium, site of seven World Cup matches, including Wednesday's semifinal between Spain and Germany. It's a gorgeous sight. (For $450 million, it better be.)

From the beach, a wide walkway passes under the M4 road and surfaces across from the east entrance at Masabalala Yengwa Avenue. The arch above the field, 344 feet high at its peak, is accessible by funicular. (For security reasons, it is closed during the World Cup.)

For many fans, buses and taxis are not necessary. Unlike Soccer City Stadium, stuck in a dirt/dust bowl in an industrial area near Soweto, or Ellis Park, in a gritty downtown Joburg neighborhood, the Durban facility is within walking distance of hotels, cafes and bars. For many others, a train station provides service just beyond the northwest gates.

Next to 62,760-seat Moses Mabhiba is 52,500-seat Absa Stadium, home to the Natal Sharks rugby club and a venue during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The Shark Cage team shop rivals any American merchandise store.

I've got three more nights in Durban before returning to Jozi for the final weekend. It's not going to be enough time...

"WILSON BAYLY HOMES-OVCON LTD"

The FIFA World Cup has been the gathering ground for the world’s best football commentators, and we have been treated to a veritable feast of entertainment from these giants of the sporting spoken word. Almost to a man, they have proclaimed the stadiums in South Africa the best in the world, and that’s some statement coming from territories that’ve generally looked upon South Africa as the southernmost tip of the darkest continent. The man behind the building or the revamp of nine of the eleven venues, isMike Wylie of Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon Ltd, who together with his lovely wife, Wendy was a recent visitor to Hartford. They were on the pilgrimage so many businessmen take these days to Grace Land, home of Moneyweb's founder, Alec Hogg and his new bride, Jeanette.

You may well ask, in the context of a construction landscape which embraces the giants Murray and Roberts, Group Five, Grinakers and the like, where WBHO have sprung from. You need only study their annual reports from the last decade to know the answer.  In its own quiet way, this is a company which has stood up and been counted as much as any in its sector on the JSE when it comes to performance, and like Hartford House in the culinary world, they’re the log leaders.

"...comfortable beyond dreams, yet innocent of pretence."

On a daily basis we’re receiving now, enquiries from around the world, prompted no doubt by the stream of pamphlets, brochures etc which fill your mailboxes with stallion propaganda at this time of year, as to when the Summerhill brochure will be on the street. It seems it has become coffee table material and archive stuff for many, but as always, it will be out at the beginning of August, and those attending our Stallion Day will be the first recipients. 

We will be teasing you however, with the occasional inserts, the first of which is a piece on Hartford House :

"We are lucky to live where we do, in a boundless, unconquered world, where the plains roll away to the great skies beyond. There are those who will tell you there is no other place quite like it. 

But we are equally fortunate in the people who came before us. Their footprints are everywhere at Hartford. The old manor house built by the family of the colony’s last Prime Minister, stands alone among the best homes of a splendid era. Built at a time when great wars were being waged by great nations for the spoils of our region, anybody who was anyone, knew the portals of this grand old dame.

Yet, long before the intrusion of these well scripted events, an ancient people lived here in quiet serenity among the plants and animals of our kingdom, and they built their abodes with the materials of the neighbourhood.

These are the people that gave birth to Ezulweni, a reversion to the methods of old, and a sensual interpretation of the way things were. The juxtaposing of Hartford House with Ezulweni provides our travelers with an insight into our colonial past, and a glimpse of the imaginations of our Zulu craftsmen, whose creative hands are embedded in the finishes.

In so many ways, Hartford stands apart for its originality. Its architecture, views, dining, sounds, scents, its racehorses and its people, are all exhilarating surprises, unique to this Zululand, to this property, and to Africa.

Hartford has gained and regained from the cultures it celebrates. It is life’s exception. A place at the same time comfortable beyond dreams, yet innocent of pretence.

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FIFA WORLD CUP 2010
SOUTH AFRICA

The reverberation of vuvuzelas, and motor vehicles of all makes and shapes sporting a flag or three, heralded a national unity unseen since 1995. The 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup has arrived – and anticipation is behind us.  Continued enthusiasm, spirit and ubuntu are inspiring and I’m stirred by a warm, fuzzy proudly-South African sensation. With the month-long festivities and little time to indulge in cookouts, I suggest a selection of sensational bites.

Ensure you always have available thinly sliced biltong, the cheesiest-of-cheesy cheese straws and a selection of lightly-salted hot nuts. An assortment of olives and pickled onions are also an option. These quick-and-easy nibbles are the basics of my 'emergency kit'.

The easiest samoosas are the gorgonzola-filled option and they never fail to impress. I relish the warm centre of oozing gorgonzola surrounded by the crisp spring-roll pastry. Simplicity at its best!

A smoked snoek spread brings South Africa into your television room. Serve this with paper-thin Melba toast, bowls of roasted garlic, caper berries and sundried tomatoes. Scrumptious!

I enjoy something slightly spicy when having a drink or two. This sparks memories of Dodo’s vegetable market in Church Street, Pietermaritzburg where my mom would stock up on supplies and my dad would buy a large paper packet filled with greasy chilli bites for my sister and I. The outer crispness and the inner slightly-spicy softness - almost sponginess - is a texture sensation. I add onion, tomato, pepper and lots of roughly chopped dhanya. For its intensity and versatility I rate dhanya one of my favourite fresh herbs and served on Camembert it makes a memorable meal with a homemade sweet chilli sauce, or with curry, or in samoosas, or in salads or with chicken livers. The options are endless.

On a healthier note, an avocado guacamole served with crudités (raw vegetables cut into bite-size strips) is light and satisfying. Nearby, place slices of old-style homemade cumin flavoured white bread and excellent-quality balsamic vinegar and olive oil. This will allow guests to drizzle vinegar and oil on the bread and, for a more substantial portion, finish with a spread of guacamole.

I am sure these quick, uncomplicated snacks will serve you and your guests well. Keep the spirit alive… Ayoba!

Take these recipes and try them.

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SOUTH AFRICA ROLLS OUT UBUNTU IN ABUNDANCE

Our countrymen have surprised themselves, it seems. There was so much apprehension in the world about our ability to stage a successful World Cup, we’d begun to believe it ourselves. That it’s been a resounding success, is evident from this article by the exalted American International Development Executive in the Public Health sector, Shari Cohen. Read it; it’s worth it.

"South Africa Rolls Out the Ubuntu in Abundance"

I went on a rant the other day regarding the cost of the 2010 World Cup versus all the critical needs South Africa is facing and whether or not the most vulnerable of this country would gain anything from having the World Cup hosted in their country. At that time, I also had some very positive things to say about our hosts for the 2010 World Cup and I wanted to share that side of the coin as well, because it is equally important.

To say that I have been blown away at the hospitality South Africa has shown the rest of the world would be an understatement. I think back on recent Olympics and struggle to remember much reporting in the USA of athletes from other countries. I remember when a Togolese guy won a bronze medal in kayaking and NBC reported it and I thought to myself, "where are all the other fascinating stories like this one… like the Jamaican bobsledding team." In today’s America, sadly, we have drifted so far towards being so US-centric that we only seem to root for the Americans.

Not so here in South Africa. I’ve been here since early May and each week I have become more and more impressed with the global embrace that South Africans have offered up to the world. On the way to the airport a couple of weeks ago, I heard a radio program that said each day they would focus on one country that would be coming to South Africa for the World Cup, and they would explore not only that country’s history in soccer, but also their politics, religion, and socio-cultural practices. On the television, I’ve seen numerous programs that focus on a particular country and its history of soccer and how the history of that country is intertwined with their soccer history. I’ve seen programs on India, exploring why India enjoys soccer but hasn’t really excelled at the global level… yet. And I’ve seen shows on soccer in Muslim countries. Maybe it’s planned, maybe it’s unplanned, maybe it’s by chance, but it is happening. It’s not just about South Africans showing off their varied and multifaceted culture to their global guests; it’s also about using this opportunity to educate South Africa on the rest of Planet Earth’s inhabitants.

As I moved through my work here in the provinces over the last six weeks, I had a pivotal meeting with the Board members of a rural NGO. They were explaining their guiding program philosophy of Ubuntu. No, not the Linux program. I’m talking about the traditional African philosophy of Ubuntu that essentially says, "No man is an island."

I found a better explanation from Wikipedia :

Archbishop Desmond Tutu further explained Ubuntu in 2008 :

"One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality - Ubuntu - you are known for your generosity."

We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.

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Come and join us at Hartford House 
for the weekend 30 July - 2 August 2010

Friday :
Arrival at Hartford House. 
Join the racing fraternity for dinner prepared by Jackie Cameron 
paired with Waterford Wines.

Saturday :
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Greyville racecourse in Durban 
where you will be treated to a full day in the Summerhill Stud Box on the finish line. 
Transfer back to Hartford House. 
Evening dinner in your room.

Sunday :
A leisurely breakfast followed by "Racing's Greatest Day Out," 
the Summerhill Stallion Day, with 14 nations in attendance.

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AT THE TOP, THE HEAD NEVER SITS EASILY

We’ve just received the news from the organisers of the House and Leisure/Visa Best of SA Awards, that Hartford has once again made the finalists in the Best Restaurant category. As last years winners, we go into the 2010 edition as the reigning champions, with little to gain and everything to loose, as our friends at Summerhill tell us racing people would describe our position.

We’re always humbled to be selected for these finals, especially when you consider the other finalists in the category include two world top fifty restaurants, so this remains a singular and terribly important honour for us.

To those who know us, we hope that we can rely on your support once again to ensure the crown remains on this side of the Drakensberg.

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HEARTY ENGLISH DISHES 
TO WARM UP YOUR WINTER

A week in the English countryside sipping wine in the most distinguished luxury country houses is my kind of getaway. Father Time has placed a gentle hand on England’s grand old castles, ancient ruins and the many magnificent manors which stand as proudly as they did the day they were built. All are set in shrub-filled gardens surrounded by peaceful parklands dating back to as early as the 1600's.

And as I sit with a cup of tea and the creamiest of cream scones, I reflect on the fact that English food is not thought of as fondly as, let’s say, French and/or Italian cuisine. This seems crazy when you consider everything the English have brought to the table.

The first dish that springs to mind is roast beef served with pickled walnuts, electrifying fresh horseradish, outer-crispy and inner-spongy Yorkshire pudding and hot English Mustard. Delicious! Then there’s pork with applesauce and lamb or mutton with fresh mint sauce.  I have fond recollections of scrumptious Sunday lunches with the family tucking into typical “English” fare. 

General Louis Botha
(Photo : SA Military Museum)

SOUTH AFRICA CELEBRATES A DOUBLE CENTURY

Hashim Amla’s outstanding knock of 129 in Dominica, West Indies, yesterday was not the only a century not out South Africans have woken up to this morning.

On the 31^st May 1910, the Union of South Africa came into being, anointing a man with close ties to Summerhill and Hartford, as Prime Minister. That this farm is steeped in old history is well known, but it’s a lesser known fact that Louis Botha, the second Anglo Boer War’s most successful general, took command of the Boer forces at the foot of this farm.

Besides, apart from the Lord Chief Justice, Lord de Villiers, the only one man to emerge from the Union talks (which brought about the Act of Union) with a knighthood, was Sir Frederick Moor, who together with his brother, Senator John Moor were the founders of what we know as Hartford House today. Of course, Hartford has been through many changes in its life, and today it celebrates the fact that it ranks as the only world-class hotel on a world-class stud farm in the world, as well as being home to one of the nation’s top restaurants.

Aside from these two gentlemen, Summerhill itself was home to Sir Frederick’s deputy (when he was Prime Minister of the Colony of Natal), Colonel George Richards, which means that for the last years of its existence as a colony, Natal was ruled from these two farms.

Happy birthday South Africa.