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Top of the World

May 1, 2012 //
3

The new list of the top 50 restaurants in the world was released yesterday and really there were no surprises.

Organised by Restaurant magazine and judged by 800 industry specialists, this list is not only the most anticipated, but the most lucrative of lists to head up as a restaurant. For many years El Bulli topped the bill and now Noma has taken over as the one to beat.

Whilst I haven’t been to many on there, I am told that getting on this list makes a big difference to the bookings. Once you have made it here you are guaranteed full tables and thus commercial success for your restaurant. So I always try and see who it is that makes the list and what I can conclude about the restaurant world as a result.

Obviously I look at the UK first and was delighted to see Heston’s Dinner charge into 9th spot as the highest new entry, with the Fat Duck falling back out of the top ten to number 13 (lucky for some!). There is no doubt that the Fat Duck experience is one that I shall remember for a long time but the truth is that the Dinner meal was much easier to relish. The food was outstanding and yes, you absolutely have to have the Meat Fruit, but I suggest you half and half with someone having the Rice & Flesh.

Meat Fruit: stunning

I am also kicking myself for not forcing my friends to join me at The Ledbury before it achieved the highest climber award rising 20 spots to number 14. Now it will be impossible to get a table. Ever since the team fought off the onslaught of unruly rebels during the London riots, I have had a desire to support the Ledbury lot.

In terms of other observations much is the same as last year with USA, France and Spain dominating. The US now boast eight restaurants in the top 50 just beating the French who have 7, although it must be said that France do not have any listed in the top 10. The contenders to the US for top ten position goes to Spain and that is no surprise to me. This is my top choice for places to eat and I was especially glad to see Elena Arzak awarded world’s best female chef after her Dad got the lifetime achievement award in 2011. Incidentally this went to Thomas Keller this year. His record speaks for itself.

Other observations are the continued presence of the South American countries with Brazil, Mexico and Peru in the top 50 along with a spotlight on Peru for the Regional spotlight article. On the other hand Finland, South Africa and Russia all fell out of the top 50. I am particularly sad about South Africa as a big supporter of theirs, although I was pleased for The Test Kitchen which came in at number 74 and is fully deserved (see my earlier blog for more details).

A drizzly day couldn't dampen our spirits at Stone Barns farm

It is incredible what these Blue Hill guys are doing with the good old vegetable.

I also want to make special mention of Blue Hill at Stone Barns which is at number 77. We went there at the end of last year and it was possibly the best meal I have ever had. I think it was the overall experience that makes me say that. Robert the concierge was our charming host touring us through the drizzle around the farm for a couple of hours. We were mesmerised by the whole operation. Nothing was left to chance with vegetable varieties being developed with amazing integrity and passion. I have never before been taken through the ins and outs of the composting system or indeed the charcoal process before a meal but having done that, we really appreciated the whole meal on a much broader level. Never has a raw vegetable tasted so good and never has a table been so well served.

Course one of 27 having chosen the 12 course menu! Never has a carrot tasted so good

The top restaurant list is indeed fascinating and a chance to fantasise about where I might like to eat this year. But the truth is that this sort of food is such a special treat that it is a rare thing for me to be able to indulge in. I still desire a trip to Spain and the Asador Etxebarri food. Maybe this year I can pull it off.

In the meantime, let me know what you think and where you want to go. I am always up for a great meal.

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Categories Restaurants, South Africa

Hugs and Kisses

March 8, 2012 //
2

I managed to catch up with the Design Indaba this week. This is an annual event which claims to believe “that creativity will fuel an economic revolution in South Africa” and as such brings together inspiration from the full spectrum of creative sectors to share their knowledge and insight.

Whilst there are many very interesting speakers to watch, I particularly enjoyed hearing from Brad Armitage and Rui Esteves about their various enterprises and what they have learnt. Brad & Rui epitomise how I see South Africans. They are young, dynamic guys who just get on and do stuff that they are passionate about. They say you have to love what you do and I think it is this emotional connection that ensures they deliver a great connection with their brand.

Their first big success was launching Vida e Caffe, the coffee brand. It is easy to look at these outlets today and forget just how innovative it was for South Africa when they launched it in 2001. They have since sold the business and are now venturing into the craft beer market. And whilst both initiatives are really well done, it is two of the principles they talked about that rung true with me.

Focus. That is one key driver to their success. Doing one things that you believe in really really well. I have said before that it is the specialists in the food arena who are most impressing me. I was extolling the virtues of The Doughnut Plant, Popbar and Sprinkles only last week but this focus is not just a sweet domaine.

I have bored most of my friends rotten about The Meatball Shop in New York. This is the epitome of focus. A very simple menu of meatballs done in a choice of flavours with different sauces that you can mix and match yourself. Plus the shop itself is simply decorated with nods to the process from old mincer parts on the wall.

The wipeable tick list menu that allows the ultimate in personalisation

Cute sliders, hearty bowls of tasty meatballs, fresh salad and a carafe of red - what more could you want?

Mincer parts make ideal wall decs

Another great example of focus is Chin Chin Laboratorists here in Camden, London. This husband and wife team make wonderful ice cream using the liquid nitrogen method. And their shop, or lab, is an innovative design too which underpins the brand.

Scientific cues for the most modern science way of making ice cream

The mad professor making ice cream

It’s not only the shop and the product that gives focus, but the menu itself. There are only ever three flavours on offer: vanilla, chocolate and a special of the week which is always seasonal and creative. And then they do the most wonderful array of toppings and sauces for you to choose. Superb.

A focused menu indeed

Unconventional display tools underpin the experimental feel

It all adds up to a scrummy dessert

The second Brad and Rui principle that struck a cord with me was the need to build a community around their product. In fact, when Rui presented this part of their chat, he talked about building a shrine where their consumers could come. For their Brewers & Union beer, this was under an old church in Bree Street, Cape Town. There they serve an array of beers and matching food platters. It is relaxed, casual and quite the centre of the fashionable Capetonian crowd.

Bold graphics bolted straight onto the wall. It's simple

Each bottle is individually designed with unique glasses to match

Clearly, the Chin Chin team have done a great job of that shrine and if you think about it, all the best places have an equally impressive home too. I strongly believe that customers need to interact with the brand physically, so a place to find it really is important. I think the salvation of our high streets will be driven by the fact that a web based community is just not going to tick the shrine box. It is too disconnected.

The best brands will be able to combine a real and virtual world in fine harmony. Both elements have a place in building that community for their target market. They should embrace their customers with a huge hug and never let them go.

See the full & union presentation at this address

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Categories Restaurants, Retail, South Africa

Honesty is the best policy

February 12, 2012 //
0

Hot on the heels of the coffee revolution, which is flourishing in Cape Town, comes chocolate. And not any old chocolate. There is a bit of a fashion evolving for the organic, healthy, ethical version.

As with most South African food products, the drivers are young dynamic people who have a passion for their subject, an intuitive sense of brand positioning and a keen eye for product marketing.

Quality chocolate comes to the market

I first saw Honest Chocolate at the Neighbourgoods Market, home of all the best food people every Saturday. Even in incredibly hot temperatures it was easy to see that these guys were doing something interesting, so I made my way to their new shop on Wale Street to further investigate.

Clean, simple shopfront

Traditional reclaimed furniture in a contemporary space: a perfect reflection of the brand values

The shop was cool in more ways than the temperature and it is there that you see Antony and Michael handcrafting their chocolates. They use ethically sourced Ecuadorian cacao which is processed raw (unroasted) with no additives, preservatives, or emulsifiers and they use agave nectar instead of sugar. I know this all sounds a bit worthy and for me some of the bars were not to my taste, but the bonbons were truly wonderful squares of chocolate perfection which literally melted in the mouth. This is my way of eating a superfood!

I also liked the small window to the production process where the guys are hand tempering on granite slabs and simultaneously interacting with their customers. There was something very reassuring about that window and I think it benefitted from being small so there was a sense of something special and secret that you could glimpse.

Michael tempering away

Finally I loved the packaging. Yes it was eco friendly – what else do you expect? but it was the design which appealed to me. They were all individually created by selected local artists with the original artwork displayed on the shop walls. It is a relatively easy thing to emulate and really made a big difference.

Love this packaging

Back at the Neighbourgoods Market I discovered my second chocolate fanatic.

Thor Thoroe was a successful Danish entrepreneur with a vision of creating a business that benefits everyone especially the underprivileged but was unable to get the support he needed in Scandinavia. He came to South Africa to source raw material for his Danish ice cream business using the social enterprise model and found the country more in tune and supportive of his work ethic, as well as a gap in the speciality chocolate market. Last year, Thor partnered with chocolatier Antonio Allegra and so CocoaFair was born. They say it is the first organic bean to bar chocolate factory in Africa based on social entrepreneurship.

Factory turned shop

Cleaner turns chocolatier

I spent some time with Thor who is passionate about sharing his vision. He was particularly proud of this lovely lady who had approached them before they opened as she dreamt of having her own chocolate shop – surely a far away dream when you are a single Mum, employed as a domestic cleaner, living in a township. But these guys could relate to her drive and now she is a fully trained integral part of the CocoaFair family, soon to travel back to Thor’s Danish homeland so that she can train his teams over there on a new project he is starting. Ain’t that something?

If you fancy a piece of that, Antonio is starting a few courses so that you too can get your hands on the cocoa and see the whole process through.

From a retail point of view, there are some simple things to learn from here:

  • a passionate leader who creates and holds onto the vision whilst making things happen
  • transparency throughout the production process which is physically demonstrated in the retail environment
  • great product at good value prices
  • good packaging and marketing with some experiential courses thrown in for good luck

So there’s a lot to learn from the chocolate business and I for one am happy to partake in many visits just to make sure I get it. If you are in Cape Town, look them up.

Keeping it open, modern and simple

It still has to taste good for us to come back

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Categories South Africa

The blessing of the harvest

February 6, 2012 //
0

The buzzword of the moment is experiential.

Businesses are constantly looking to differentiate themselves from the competition and to connect more emotionally with their customers. It is important to offer something more than just a branded product and that can be achieved by creating a unique and memorable brand experience. Black Tomato have established a hugely successful travel company on the back of this and many restaurants and retailers are extending their offering to include courses, talks, stayovers and much more to exploit this fashion.

This Saturday I got to see just such an initiative at the beautiful Moreson vineyard in Franschhoek. We were to attend the ‘Blessing of the Harvest’ where we would create wines the old fashioned way with the team there.

The day started with a glass of bubbly and a small bite to get us in the mood for the whole event.

Plenty of crates to fill in the 35 degree heat

Tackling the vines

There was a sense of really being part of something both fun and fulfilling. I also developed a load of respect when you realise just what a small dent this big group of people made on the overall crop.

Hand cutting the Sauvignon Blanc grapes

One crate of grapes picked and ready to stomp

Once we had filled our crate, we were encouraged to enter the one minute challenge of crushing our grapes by foot…the old fashioned way!

It turns out there is a technique for optimising the amount of grape juice you get which involved various levels of hugging and big feet! Others chose to cheat and bolster their juice levels in other ways in order to win the prize for most juice from their barrel! Clearly I was not competitive enough and didn’t win that prize. Nor did I win ‘best legs’ prize, but better luck next time.

The Moreson team changed the way this part of the process took place this year and for me it was a little bit slapdash. I would have preferred to have stomped for more time (in the shade) and seen more about the whole cycle of making wine. But after our 1 minute stomping and 2 minute liquid collection we were done and sent off to try the professional stuff.

Apparently hugging your partner helps - it's a loving process this wine stomping

Best legs winner...judge for yourself

The added benefit of having this event at Moreson is that it is home of the beautifully appointed Bread and Wine restaurant, run by Tina and Neil Jewell. Neil came over to South Africa from the UK many years ago and has established himself as a leader in the charcuterie business making all sorts of wonderful cured meats. He even does a course if you are interested. And so the final part of this Blessing was to partake in a grand buffet lunch at the restaurant. Once again, for me, there was a bigger opportunity to link the wine and food which would have completed the experience, but Neil certainly laid on a spread.

Bread & Wine

Neil's spread

Overall it was an enjoyable day and fascinating to see that we were surrounded by locals and tourists alike, of all ages from young children to retirees and from around the world. There were also a couple of businesses on a team day which was a great idea. I am always amazed by how people find out about these things but the lesson is that they do. And I guess that is what this experiential marketing is all about.

Whilst I didn’t win the label design competition either, I am looking forward to receiving my bottles of ‘Footsteps’ wine in a years time when it has matured into something more drinkable. Until then, I will hold onto the connection I have with this particular vineyard and there’s a lesson to take from that.

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Categories South Africa
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