Kickstart the long weekend with the whole family by supporting locals and enjoy a range of food, wine, crafts, storytelling and entertainment, which pay tribute to South Africa’s rich and diverse culinary culture and ‘komvandaan’. Directly translated ‘komvandaan’ means ‘where we come from” – a colloquial term which describes the food and stories which have shaped the lives of so many people across communities in South Africa.
Tickets are R60 throughout and booking is now open through Webtickets, online at www.webtickets.co.za or at Pick n Pay stores.
All COVID-19 protocols will be in place and should be strictly adhered to as regulated at the current Level 3 restrictions (subject to change), and include the availability of hand sanitisers, tracking and tracing recording, wearing of masks and practising of physical distancing.
Food stalls will offer a range of hot meals, preserves (jams, pickles, atchars and konfyts), pies, samoosas and koeksisters, frozen meals and pastries, as well as various sweet options, amongst other delicious savouries. The day’s programme includes cooking demonstrations by leading chefs and celebrity cooks, food, wine and gin tastings, storytelling, entertainment, poetry readings by revered local artists, book discussions and signing, a cooking competition and much more. There is a play area for the children and some great prizes to be won.
The Rivendell Boutique Wine Estate is the perfect setting for an event such as the LRSB Heritage Day Food Festival with its beautiful setting, ample parking and sprawling grass areas, perfect for a family picnic while enjoying the day’s programme of events.
Artists on the programme include veteran poet Dianna Ferris, St Georges Cathedral dean and published poet Michael Weeder, the award-winning actor, singer and entertainer, Terry Fortune, singer Mujahid George and the Handevat Music Project from Kleinmond. Food and cooking demos by revered chefs and cooks like Surita Riffel, Fayruza Abrahams amongst others.
The Lockdown Recipe Storytelling Book group is a Facebook initiative, curated by television personality and businesswoman, Ingrid Jones, started in early 2020, when South Africans faced the first hard lockdown and many conversations had to be moved online.
The group, made up of over 3500 South Africans worldwide, came together online with a single mission. “How will we remember this surreal and difficult time that sucked the life out of everything? We were forced to recalibrate; world hunger and poverty were exposed to its highest levels. and the one thing that binds and connects people and countries says Ingrid Jones, founder and convenor of the Facebook group.
She continues, “During the pandemic this food movement was born on Facebook that had at its core, the mission to showcase the diverse komvandaan (where we come from) stories of South Africans – here and abroad. It found a tribe of people so connected to each other that strong and final bonds were forged over continents, culminating in a heritage recipe book as well as a quarterly magazine called koe’sister. We not only want to align ourselves over food, but also along cultural lines. It was for this reason that members of the group host such exciting events where we converge around storytelling and good food, while supporting our communities and its organisations.”
Initially a straightforward call for family recipes, the conversations that arose evolved into a celebration – not only of the food of preceding generations – but tales of a diverse heritage that reached and continues to reach far beyond the dishes that are served and enjoyed by many families today. Stories of pride, of memories from a long time ago; some filled with pain, others joy, but at its heart, stories that honour and salute the simple legacies that are carried. From cakes to koesisters, bobotie to bredies and breyani, waterblommetjies to smoked snoek smoortjie and pickled fish, all have found their way to our tables, and have brought with them the shared histories.
From these contributions, The Lockdown Recipe Storytelling Book was compiled and published by Annake Müller Publishing at the end of 2020, which pays homage to and celebrates the people of South Africa, their food memories and their stories. The book will be on sale that day.
Located on the Cape Whale Coast, just outside the world-renowned whale watching haven of Hermanus, Rivendell is situated on the south-facing slope of Mount Hebron that forms part of the Kogelberg biosphere and nestled at the edge of the Botrivier lagoon. Like its award-winning wine, Rivendell epitomises harmony and tranquillity, energised by a vibrant spirit of adventure while still retaining a classic elegance.
Book for the Lockdown Recipe Storytelling Heritage Day Food Festival on Friday 24 September 2021, through Webtickets online at www.webtickets.co.za or at Pick n Pay stores. Tickets are R60. All proceeds from tickets sales will go directly to an organisation in the area and which forms part of the LRSB group’s commitment to support communities and organisations during this difficult time as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect many.
