IT was only a matter of time, really. UCOOK has been delivering meal kits to our doors since 2014 - measured ingredients and recipes to turn even the most hapless cooks among us into impressive home chefs. Now you can order your meals with perfect wine pairings, making it even easier to impress your friends and loved ones.
The plan is more than a year old, but thanks to Covid and all the…
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Nearly home…penultimate stop: The Lofts Boutique Hotel, Knysna
THERE is something in South Africa known as the code of the road. Okay, not really; I just made that up, but it was something I pondered a great deal while driving, and it goes like this.
If someone wants to overtake you, and it's possible to do so safely, you drift into the breakdown lane. As they pass and slip in front of you, it's absolutely positively imperative that they flash their hazard…
The Turbine’s Knysna Oyster Festival 2021 specials
KNYSNA, home of the Garden Route’s biggest annual event, the Knysna Oyster Festival which runs from Friday, July 9 to Sunday, July 18 is also home to the Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa in the centre of Thesen Island.
Intuitive architecture pays homage to the old power station it once was. Accommodation comprises luxury hotel rooms, standard rooms, a honeymoon suite and two expansive…
SOMERSET WEST’S Vergelegen wine estate has been renowned for its natural beauty and memorable cuisine for more than 300 years, so fans will be delighted they can now recreate their favourite restaurant and picnic dishes, and revel in remarkable new photographs, with the publication of A Cape Table.
With outstanding images by Craig Fraser and food styling by Anke Roux, interspersed with…
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Diverse documentaries to stream now on Showmax
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN fans will be swept away by Western Stars, the live, intimate concert performance of the 20-time Grammy winner’s 19th studio album, released in 2019.
Filmed at the artist’s own ranch, the film documents an intimate gig in a 100-year-old barn, where Bruce is backed by a band and a full orchestra as he performs all 13 songs from the album, taking us on a journey of love, loss,…
From the Karoo to the Garden Route, and two nights in Plett
AS I typed that headline I thought of one night in Bangkok, and this is nothing like that at all. Rather tame in fact, but no less enjoyable.
From Cradock, via Addo (which is a town and not only the elephant place which bears its name), I reached the N2 and headed west. After a 16km dirt road, about half of which was a mountain pass where I could see about 10 metres of road in front of me…
THIS leg of the road trip was the longest - distance, not time - and I had to be properly prepared. I filled up with petrol, and selected a suitably long playlist. While waiting for the guy to finish checking my tyres and whatnot, I became vaguely aware I could hear a news broadcast on the radio.
Wait, what?
See, how it works in my car is that there is a bluetooth thingy that goes into the…
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Die Heuwels Fantasties to perform live in Stellenbosch on Sunday
DIE HEUWELS FANTASTIES released three great albums in the most difficult year that was 2020. Their creative tenacity has earned them their stripes as one of South Africa's most progressive bands. The album 2021 - introduced in May - delivered three radio hits which, to date, have had about a hundred million impacts on SA radio. Songs from all three releases, including Live In Lockdown and…
The road trip continues…Montagu to Oudtshoorn
THE second leg of my epic road trip took me onto Route 62 proper - the road that runs all the way from Montagu to Gqeberha, should you care to make that journey. It was not my destiny to follow that path; after Oudtshoorn I'd be making a sort-of left if you look at a map. But more about that next week.
The wide open space of the Karoo gave me immense joy, a mostly flat vista that was wider than…
FREELY, the new zero sugar, low alcohol hard seltzer, the latest buzzword on the South African dinks scene, has arrived in step with the growing trend towards alternative refreshment for a lighter, more balanced lifestyle.
Crafted by a small, independent local producer, Freely is a proudly South African sparkling water with a splash of premium distilled vodka and pure fruit taste tailormade for…
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Ryan Kruger – breaking the SA movie mould
RYAN KRUGER’S obsession with film started at the age of 14 when he was given a camcorder and feverishly started filming his friends and family in a series of short “movies".
After graduating from high school in 2001, he obtained his acting diploma from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and started a gritty reality-type show called GTV!, where he delved into the underbelly of…
Two very special events at Steenberg this weekend
Laughter really is the best medicine so get your dose of local comedy and fresh air with the popular stand-up comedian, Alan Committie, on the lawns at Steenberg’s signature Tryn Restaurant on Thursday, April 8.
After a successful first show, Alan is back with another wacky hour long performance. Be sure to grab your picnic blanket and kick off your shoes for a starlit evening of laughs.
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NOMINATED for a 2020 BAFTA Award for Best Mini-Series, The Victimcentres on Anna Dean, a grieving mother who finds herself on trial for attempted murder after exposing the new identity and address of the man she believes murdered her son 15 years ago. On the flip-side of the equation is hard-working family man Craig Myers, who is viciously attacked after being identified online as a notorious…
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The Journal: A New Chapter on Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc
THE second vintage of Diemersdal estate’s The Journal Sauvignon Blanc underscores this range’s commitment to showing the farm’s Durbanville terroir through classic, old-school styles of winemaking. The just-released The Journal Sauvignon Blanc 2020, following the maiden 2019 version introduced last year, is made from a single vineyard planted with vines of between 28 and 38 years old. The wine was…
Road trip 2021 – first stop, Cape Town to Montagu Country Hotel
IT all began with an invitation to dinner in Cradock (which you can read about here). It's more than 800km, which is a bit far for one stretch. Luckily I have connections with the Cape Country Routespeople so with some planning, a two-week road trip was planned.
When I announced I would be embarking on this adventure on my own, reactions were mixed. My mother pursed her lips and said "you know…