With the end of a year comes awards season where the best of the best are recognized for this contributions to their respective industries.
Gourmet Magazine, a sister print run to Condé Nast House & Garden, was one of theses publications (Along with Eat Out Magazine , who present the Top 20 in the country as well as everyday eateries voted by the public)
On the 6th December 2016 Gourmet Magazine welcomed their inaugural Gourmet Restaurant Awards which were announced at an exclusive cocktail party hosted at picturesque Klein Constantia Wine Estate.
Judges for the Gourmet Restaurant Awards included:
Bernadette Le Roux
Gourmet Editor has published two cookbooks, has worked in publishing for 15 years and is co-owner of Cafe Roux in Noordhoek.
Neil Roake
The force behind Durban’s Freedom Cafe, Neil is also a cookbook author who travels the world as an avid food tourist.
Leigh Robertson
Our Condé Nast House & Garden Editor and long-time foodista, who has reviewed restaurants for some of SA’s most renowned local guides.
Susan Greig
Susan Greig is a contributor to Gourmet, a well-known food personality in Johannesburg and offers regular cooking classes at her studio in Hyde Park.
‘I feel that the Gourmet Restaurant Awards and their categories are about the joy of food,’
‘It’s about the excitement of being one of the first in a newly opened restaurant; the feeling of sitting in a magnificent room that’s been decorated and designed to enhance the experience; the thrill of finding an undiscovered hidden gem off the beaten track; staying over in a luxury hotel that has the added bonus of an exceptional restaurant under one roof; and the surprise factor that comes with working your way through a chef’s tasting menu.’
-Gourmet Editor Bernadette Le Roux.
Condé Nast Deputy Chairman Elizabeth Rees-Jones and Managing Director Michelle Fenwick presented the certificates to the winners. Dr Susanne Reuther of KitchenAid South Africa, who sponsored the Reader’s Choice Award (a category voted for solely by the public through social media) presented each of the winners with a KitchenAid Mixer.
There were 7 categories,with 6 nominees per category from all provinces.**
Categories included were: Best tasting menu, Best Hotel Restaurant, Décor & Design, Hidden Gem,Reader’s Choice Award, Best New Restaurant and of course an award to pay homage to the Head of the teams, The Gold Award for Consistency and Chef Excellence.
**We have contacted the Judges of the awards to confirm to criteria for each award
Best tasting menu nominees were:
Adriaan Maree, Fermier, Pretoria
Bertus Basson, Overture, Stellenbosch
Chantel Dartnall, Restaurant Mosaic, Pretoria
Luke Dale-Roberts, The Test Kitchen, Cape Town
Margot Janse, The Tasting Room, Franschhoek
Winner: Chantel Dartnall, Restaurant Mosaic, Pretoria
The nominees for:
Best Hotel Restaurant
Luke Dale-Roberts at The Saxon, JHB
Nobu, One&Only Cape Town
The Greenhouse at Cellars Hohenhort, Cape Town
The Grill Room at The Oysterbox, Durban
View, Four Seasons Westcliff, Johannesburg
Winner: Luke Dale Roberts at The Saxon, Johannesburg
Nominees for:
Décor & Design
De Camdeboo, Drostdy Hotel, Graaff Reinet
Indochine, Delaire Graff, Stellenbosch
Tashas Sandton, Johannesburg
The Shortmarket Club, Cape Town
The Stack, Cape Town
Winner: Indochine, Delaire Graff, Stellenbosch
Nominees for
Hidden Gem:
Blueberry Café, KZN Midlands
Cheyne’s, Hout Bay
Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse, Drakensberg
Fynboshoek Cheese, Storm’s River
The Hub Café, Scarborough
Winner: Blueberry Café, KZN Midlands
Nominees for
Reader’s Choice Award:
Art of Food, Dullstroom
Boiler Room Café, Durban
Duchess of Wisbeach, Cape Town
DW Eleven-13, Johannesburg
The Leopard, Johannesburg
Winner: DW Eleven-13, Johannesburg
Nominees for
Best New Restaurant:
Ash, Cape Town
Glenda’s, Johannesburg
Marble, Johannesburg
Mulberry & Prince, Cape Town
The Shortmarket Club, Cape Town
Winner: Shortmarket Club, Cape Town
The final Award, The Gold Award for Consistency and Chef Excellence is to honour a chef who has stood the test of time and who has been consistently good over a period of time.
Nominees:
Chantel Dartnall, Restaurant Mosaic, Pretoria
Harald Bresselschmidt, Aubergine, Cape Town
Franck Dangereux, The Foodbarn, Noordhoek
George Jardine, Jordan Restaurant, Stellensbosch
Liam Tomlin, Chefs Warehouse, Cape Town
Luke Dale-Roberts, The Test Kitchen, Cape Town
Michael Broughton, Terroir, Stellenbosch
Scot Kirton, La Colombe, Hout Bay
Winner: George Jardine, Stellenbosch
