The Cederberg Wilderness, by Alex Robertson

Having heard so much about the beauty and uniqueness of The Cederberg Wilderness Area near Cape Town, I made it top of my priorities to visit our friends at Cederberg Private Cellar, on my recent trip to South Africa. A three hour drive north of Cape Town takes you through a dusty, dry and arid landscape, with striking mountains all around covered in the most extraordinary rock formations.  

Rugby, leeks & wine

Moving into the closing weekend of the 6 Nations with what seems almost like an inevitable Grand Slam for Wales on the cards, I thought I’d pass on a great recipe and a food & wine match to help use up all the left over celebratory leeks.

Hartenberg Lunch with James Browne at the Gilbert Scott, by Johnny Paterson

This week we were really pleased to welcome the owner of Hartenberg Estate, James Browne, to the UK. We met in the beautiful bar at the Gilbert Scott for a small lunch with a few clients. Everyone was hugely impressed with the wonderful refit of the building and the huge grandeur of all the rooms especially the dining room.

Chef’s table with Bodegas Lan at The Churchill, by Alex Harper

Having Trinidad from Bodegas Lan in Rioja in London is always a pleasure, doubly so when we have the prospect of a chef’s table at the superb Montagu Bar in The Churchill Hotel. Chef Carlos was in delighted animation as he described some of the dishes awaiting us and our guests as we taste tested the wines that were going to be complimenting the food.

Never Stop Working, by Johnny Paterson

For the past few weeks I have been on holiday in the Cape and was lucky enough to spend a few days with the lovely people at Hartenberg Estate in Stellenbosch. I visited them a few years ago but only briefly and so I was looking forward to a proper visit this time round.