The Good Food and Wine Show Joburg edition ready to cook up a storm
29. Sep, 2009
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With just over four weeks to the opening of South Africa’s biggest and longest running interactive food and wine show, the programme for The Good Food and Wine Show Johannesburg has been finalised and is set to be the best ever.
So says show director Christine Cashmore whose hugely successful annual shows run in Cape Town (May), Durban (July) and Johannesburg (29 October to 1 November).
Known for its quality produce, innovative appliances and food theatre featuring local and international celebrity chefs, the show is expected to attract more than 35,000 visitors to its venue, the Coca Cola Dome, Northgate, who will be able to taste a wide variety of food and wine, watch local and international chefs in action, participate in a number of hands-on workshops and catch the very latest lifestyle trends.
According to Cashmore, this year’s show will be totally interactive.
“Visitors are going to be able to meet the makers of the products, grill the chefs on their secrets, and learn how to make everything from great coffee and cocktails to pasta and gourmet dinner party dishes.”
This year the show will host six BBC chefs who will be flown into South Africa by Swiss International Air Lines and accommodated by Southern Sun Palazzo, Montecasino. They include the popular ‘tried and tested’ celebrity chefs Ainsley Harriott, Reza Mohammad and Patrick Williams, as well as some new faces to the show – Valentine Warmer, the What to Eat Now presenter who has cooked for Yves Saint-Laurent and Gucci; and Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, the bubbly couple who specialise in authentic Italian cuisine and are well-known for their television series Return to Tuscany. Katie will launch her brand-new cook book, The Italian Cookery School, at the show.
A number of free live demonstrations by top local and international chefs will feature in nine different interactive areas, including popular favourites like the Chefs in Action Theatre where Top Billing presenters Tumisho Mashi and Jo-Ann Strauss will introduce the BBC celebrity chefs; The Cocktail Court; Creative Coffee Theatre; and some new, exciting areas such as the Get Fresh BBC Lifestyle theatre. Here you will have the opportunity to cook alongside celebrity chefs using fresh seasonal produce. Guests will be treated to everything from organic wine pairings to growing kitchen gardens and hands-on sessions with Janez Vermeiren from Top Billing who will showcase DIY Herb Spirals and Herb Gardens.
This area will also incorporate The Whole Food Market with its producers’ village, featuring Johannesburg’s top producers of cheeses, spices, sausages, marinades, handmade chocolates and award-winning olive oils.
The Outdoor Theatre area will feature an al fresco stage for the latest in outdoor entertaining as demonstrated by Joburg celebs and celebrity chefs who will demonstrate techniques to prepare favourite braai recipes on a new-age temperature controlled built-in gas braai. Visitors will leave with exciting recipes for snacks, grills, salads, bakes and thirst quenchers.
Other highlights will be the Ten Chefs: Ten Ingredients cook-off, in which the top ten SA chefs will demonstrate how to prepare a meal with no more than ten ingredients each; the Alchemy of Gold, Essence of Fine Brandy theatre; The Great Wine Sale; the Design a Bunny Chow competition, with Reza Mohammad judging local entries; and the Eastern Mosaic Pavilion in association with Spekko Rice.
Wine will be a huge focus of the show and will be paired with food at interactive stations and featured restaurants, including Soweto Bites where leading Soweto chefs will prepare local food with a global twist paired with top Nederburg Wines.
The Little Cooks Club will provide a hands-on programme for children of all ages. Bring the little ones to meet the characters from the CBeebies show, Big Cook Little Cook, and let them loose in the well supervised hands-on cooking area!
Says Cashmore: “Above all the show aims to entertain and promises a fantastic outing for singles, couples and families. You’ll be able to dine in style or snatch a takeaway, taste new wines, learn to mix cocktails, chill with friends, cook with your toddlers, mingle with the stars and take home fabulous recipes and products.”
Entrance is just R65 for adults and R30 for pensioners and children, and tickets entitle holders to a range of free food and wine samplings, prizes, special offers and giveaways. There are specials for groups of 10 which include a welcome drink and VIP ticket to the Chefs in Action Theatre. There is also a 25% discount for tickets purchased online before 15 October.
Dates are October 29 to November 1, from 10am to 9pm except on Sunday when the show will close at 6pm.
To reserve a place at a hands-on workshop, call Tazneem on 021 797 4500. For more information and to book online visit www.gourmetsa.co.za.
My name is Muzi Mohale a full-time travel blogger, your host at Travelwires.com responsible for all editorial on this blog. I blog about the travel and tourism industry in Africa. Apart from blogging about tourism, I also run 
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