Tasteful experiencesGrand Dedale CountryHouse, top; The TestKitchen in Cape Town,above left; packingfreshly grown producefor city dwellers inKhayelitsha township,above right

Ido love the Cape. I’ve been going foraround 15 years. There’s a wonderfulclimate, and the produce and cooking isgetting better and better. At the momentthis is being led mainly by two chefs:London-born Luke Dale-Roberts, of TheTest Kitchen, and a guy from Dublincalled Liam Tomlin, of Chefs Warehouse& Canteen, who I know well. Along witha number of others, these two are helpingto create a great deal of interest in CapeTown, which is really buzzinggastronomically.The Cape just spills over with natural

ingredients. For example, we visited thetownship of Khayelitsha, outside CapeTown, with a community developmentorganisation called Uthando, which runstours (uthandosa.org). We met a ladycalled Mama Christina, who hasreclaimed land on this strip of near desertusing compost from Cape Town, and isgrowing great, fresh produce for chefs inthe city. It’s social mobility through food.Even though I’m a professional chef

I’m not a food snob. I love going to achain restaurant called the Cape TownFish Market in Tokai (ctfm.co.za) andalways have the tempura. It’s simple butI love it. The food doesn’t have to becomplicated or sophisticated but what ithas to have are ingredients that, fromseed to table, are treated with respect.There were three restaurants that really

stood out during my stay. I had the10-course tasting menu at Luke’s TestKitchen in Cape Town’s Old Biscuit Mill(thetestkitchen.co.za). It’s a greatexperience — I was there around threehours — and you take your time. Luke isin the kitchen and everyone knows what

they have to do. It’s like a finesymphony, with him as the conductor.There was curry-glazed kingklip, and

smoked guinea fowl breast with foie gras:nice and moist, in strips, with lovelybursts of smoke. For Luke, it’s all aboutthe indigenous produce. His motto isflavour, flavour, flavour. Everything elsefalls into place around that.A short walk away, on the top floor of

the silo of an old mill, is The Pot LuckClub (thepotluckclub.co.za). There’s lots ofglass and it has great views of themountains. The menu is in five sections,each with different tastes and flavours. Ihad one of my most memorable dishesthere — a Cape Malay lentil dhaal withcrispy calamari on top.At the Chefs Warehouse & Canteen

(chefswarehouse.co.za) the tables are not

TV chef Brian Turnertakes a journey to theheart of the Cape’sthriving culinary scene

S O U T H A F R I C A

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Savouring the very best of

really built for comfort. They’re narrowso you don’t rest for long. You can’t bookbut you can put your name on the chalkboard and then pop out for a drink. Itworks well and makes dining more of aspontaneous experience.While in Cape Town I stayed at

Kensington Place, which was lovely: eightbeautiful rooms set in a leafy suburb justbelow Table Mountain, surrounded byjacaranda trees. It was my little hideawayand its owner, Chris Weir, was my go-toguy when anything needed arranging.When I said I was going to Wellington,

around 45 minutes’ drive from centralCape Town, for the second half of mytrip, people warned that there wasn’treally much there. But when you search,you realise that’s not the case. SouthAfrica is a country of farmland and here

you have so many passionate producers.I stayed at the Grand Dedale Country

House, a wonderful hotel in the middle ofnowhere. Most people ate on the terrace,enjoying the beautiful surroundings andthe isolation. In the early evening, all theguests would meet for a glass of fizz.There’s a vineyard on site and you can

have tastings. I dined with Angelo andTina, who run the hotel. When they gotmarried, the vineyard made them theirvery own blend of wine and we drankthis as we dined.Angelo was kind enough to organise a

programme for me. I visited BosmanFamily Vineyards (bosmanwines.com),which along with a few others in the areaproduces 85 per cent of the vines that areused in South African wine production.So it’s the cradle of the South Africanwine industry. I did a tasting and got tosee how the vines were grafted, usingskills garnered over five generations.At Bontebok Ridge Reserve

(bontebokridge.co.za), you can go ongame drives. I had a tour with TomTurner, the owner, and saw eland,springbok, wildebeest and wild boar. Weeven saw a Cape fox, which Tom was soexcited about — he’d not seen one fortwo years. We finished with a braai(barbecue): wild boar and lamb sausages,a big eland steak, stuffed tomatoes — allquite simple, as it should be. We stood bythe lake with the setting sun reflecting inthe water. We were just 50 miles from thecentre of Cape Town but it felt like wewere in the middle of nowhere.All the producers are real characters.

At the Upland Organic Estate

THE LAST WORD FRANSCHHOEK,FRANSCHHOEKTucked off Franschhoek’s main street andwithin walking distance of the eateriesand bistros for which the village is famed,this Huguenot-style villa has a high rateof returning guests, and with goodreason. There are just 10 large bedrooms,set around charming gardens, all withcomplimentary minibars and two withaccess to private pools. Staff have gaineda reputation for superb levels of service:assisting with restaurant bookings andsightseeing ideas are the norm.From £80pp a night, B&B

OUDE WERF HOTEL,STELLENBOSCHWelcoming guests since 1802 to itsprime location in the heart ofstunning Stellenbosch, OudeWerf is South Africa’soldest hotel. It may haverecently undergone amajor renovationprogramme but themodern traveller isstill able to stay inone of the beautiful,centuries-old rooms.Outdoor breakfasts inthe courtyard are ahighlight, as is thewelcoming swimming pool,but the big bonus is being ableto walk out of the front door tonumerous restaurants and bars,something of a novelty in the wine region.From £45pp a night, B&B

LA RESIDENCE,FRANSCHHOEKThe Grande Dame of the Winelands, LaResidence sets the standard which othersstrive to reach. Often lauded as thecountry’s best hotel, the service levels areas legendary as the luxury interiors. Setslightly back from the village, “La Res”enjoys acres of open space and wonderfulviews of the surrounding vineyards, olivetrees and mountains. Guests can opt tostay in the main hotel or in one of theprivate villas, some of which have theirown swimming pools.From £190pp a night, B&B

GRANDE ROCHE HOTEL,PAARLA National Monument, local landmark andtreasured property, this elegant five-starhotel is located just outside Paarl. Datingfrom the 18th century, the beautiful guestrooms are dotted throughout the gardens,which also contain two swimming pools,tennis courts, wellness centre, historicwedding chapel and an award-winningrestaurant and bistro. Although manyfamed wine estates are on its doorstep,the property also produces its own wines.From £70pp a night, B&B

HAWKSMOOR HOUSE,STELLENBOSCHLocated on a working farm close toStellenbosch, Hawksmoor is an old Cape

Dutch homestead which has beenrestored to its former glory.

Guest accommodation issplit between fourhistoric buildings,formerly home to farmworkers and theirmachinery, but nowoffering deluxe roomswith wonderful viewsover the neighbouringfarms. Breakfasts can

be taken on the stoep(veranda), which overlooks

the pool and gardens.From £45pp a night, B&B

RICKETY BRIDGE MANOR HOUSE,FRANSCHHOEKThe renowned Rickety Bridge wine estatein the shadow of the Dassenbergmountains is home to this boutiqueguesthouse, which occupies a restored19th century Cape Dutch building and hasjust three rooms. Walks in the gardens ora game of boules can be complementedby a wine-tasting or lunch. The estate ison the Franschhoek wine tram route(pictured inset) so there is no need todrive to reach other estates.From £50pp a night, B&B

6 All of the above can be booked withAfrica Travel, which offers a best-priceguarantee on any like-for-like itinerary(020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk)

Down to a vine art: Thebest Wine Country retreats

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the Winelandsthesundaytimes.co.uk/africatravel

(organicwine.co.za), I met a veterinarysurgeon whose hobby is producingbrandies and grappas. It was really rustic,with masses of barrels, all chalk-marked— 15 years, 20 years. I had a taste and itwas pretty potent. I needed a nap beforedinner that day, I can tell you.And then there was the mozzarella

man, Wayne Rademeyer, a gentle giantwho runs Buffalo Ridge(buffaloridge.withtank.com). Many peoplemake mozzarella with cow’s milk but forit to be true mozzarella, it needs to bebuffalo milk. It was great to see all thesewater buffalo, around 200 in total. Waynemade a salad caprese for me to try thecheese — it was truly delicious.This was definitely one of the most

memorable of the 20 or so trips I’ve madeto South Africa. Doors were opened; I didthings I wouldn’t normally do; I met somany passionate people. I can’t wait togo back. Everything is moving forward sofast gastronomically, but you sense noone is forgetting their roots. As Jan,Liam’s wife at the Chefs Warehouse &Canteen, said of the food: “It is what it is— and it’s delicious.”That, to me, perfectly encapsulates the

Cape’s culinary scene.

Brian Turner was talking to Duncan Craig

6Brian travelled as a guest of Africa Travel,which has a seven-night gourmet holiday,with four nights at Kensington Place andthree nights at Grand Dedale, from£1,325pp, B&B. The price includes BritishAirways flights and Bidvest car hire(020 7843 3583, africatravel.co.uk)

Stirring excitementThe Pot Luck Club, top;smoked guinea fowlwith foie gras from TheTest Kitchen, above.Right, Liam Tomlin