UNESCO – Hermanus is THE Gastronomic town of AFRICA
Food glorious Food – and Wine too...
Spicy Calamari rings on pea mash
Spicy Pork Belly Ramen chilli noodles
Cauliflower and Gorgonzola soup, rose wine
Springbok fillet with beetroot, pomegranate and raspberry jus
Creamy Tomato soup, pesto, croutons
Thai phyllo pastry prawns
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On the 30th October 2019, the Hermanus region was given an extremely important and unique award – being named as – THE Gastronomic Town of AFRICA - full info HERE
Overstrand Hermanus was 1 of only 10 spots on the planet to be awarded this incredible accolade by UNESCO as part of their "Creative Cities" program – AND – the first ever in the whole continent of Africa. This region geographically covers all the villages and towns along the famous "Cape Whale Coast" route (only 75mins drive from Cape Town) – from Rooiels to Gansbaai – via Pringle Bay, Bettys Bay, Kleinmond, the inland cereal belt of Botriver and Caledon, Hemel-en-Aarde, Hermanus and the flowers and sheep area of Stanford. The entire food-chain is carefully considered – from farm to plate – and includes – Farmers – across the entire spectrum of agriculture – herds/spices, vegetables, fruits, berry farms (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, blackberries...), wine grapes, olives/pastes/oils, meats (ostrich, venison, cattle, sheep, pigs, free-range eggs & chickens, quail, ducks...), on-land fish farms of abalone, trout and salmon; grains and cereals – wheat, barley, canola, oats, rye, maize, quinoa, buckwheat... Bee-keepers, who not only harvest delicious fynbos honey but also regularly move their hives so as to pollinate the vast local fruit tree orchards of apples, cherries, pears and plums – plus into the flower farms too. Fishermen venture out onto the ocean to harvest – hake, snoek, sardines, bluefin & yellowfin tuna, crayfish, cape salmon, kabeljou, anchovies, white steenbras and stumpnose..... Dairy farmers (cattle and goats) supply to the local cheese and yoghurt makers. The grain farmers supply to bakers for breads, cakes, pastries and pasta makers. The region has also, over a short 20 years, exploded onto the international arena with an enormous excellence for wineries, craft brewers and gin distillers. Eco-friendly, sustainable cottage industries and organic practices have evolved from creative designs allowing for many unique new agricultural methods. Natural pest control is encouraged, such as geese and ducks freely roaming the fields to eat insects, snails, slugs and pests while they fertilise the soil too. The Overstrand region is blessed with pristine natural environments and is a biodiversity hotspot with an extraordinary high density of unique and endemic botanical species, so much so that in 2004 the entire Cape Floral Kingdom was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Saturday Farmers Organic Markets have strung up to promote these incredible artisan and unique products, namely the Hermanus Country Market, Hermanuspietersfontein winery market and Elgin Railway weekend market. All this enormous creativity is addictive, as our local Chefs and Restaurants utterly love all this originality of divine produce, so that they can equally work their magic in their kitchens to explode this vast variety of new dishes onto your dining table. Seasonal ingredients add even greater flair, so its very common for menus to change regularly with "new" produce offerings. Pescatarian, gluten free, lactose free, sugar free and plant based menus are catching on fast to the international lifestyle changes. Hermanus boasts over 30 amazing restaurants, (including a Michelin star chef), catering to a vast spectrum of taste buds and culinary delights – 1 thing is for sure – you will never go hungry or thirsty here. Types of chefs and restaurants menus include (and are certainly not limited to…) – Vegan, vegetarian, Indian, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Cape Malay (delish local cuisine), Seafood, Venison / steaks, Fusion, Mexican, Indonesian, French, Moroccan, middle–eastern, Japanese, Greek, A La Carte, food–and–wine pairings, South-east Asia….. A full list of the best restaurants is further down this page..... To add even more extra fun, then the region holds some excellent Festivals to celebrate the local excellence of food, wine, beers, bubbles and much more…. – the Hermanus Food and Wine Festival is held over a weekend usually at the end of Sept – Barrels and Beards is a harvest festival held in Botriver in mid-April, that combines the end of the wine grape picking season with much humorous silliness and fan-fair – the Pinot Noir Celebration is a 2 day event at the end of January to show-case the regions wines and wine-makers. The local Weddings industry has also grown enormously over the last 15 years, with grand venues set in wonderful countryside scenery, far away from any neighbours who might disagree with the pumping sound system. Their catering staff equally conjure up brilliant feasts and flamboyant wedding cakes for the celebrating guests, while also offering our many excellent local wines too. All this chain-effect helps enormously in the local economy – by each part helping the next chain in the system – from farmers, to wholesalers, to retailers, to chefs, to all parts of the tourism industry – accommodation, to tour guides and tour operators, to wedding venues, to activities companies and beyond.... Globally tourism in the food and wine sector has sky-rocketed and the Hermanus region has fantastically grown to cater to this ever increasing demand....and UNESCO has clearly shown that they totally agree with this excellence that Hermanus offers. Hermanus is also home to – the number 1 Beer of South Africa – Old Harbour Lager – and – the number 1 MCC (champagne) of South Africa – Claudia from Domaine des Dieux. |
Hermanus wine valley of Hemel-en-Aarde has over 22 wineries and 120 award winning wines, plus 5 great restaurants to enjoy, cheers
Anton Verhoogt and Darryl David in Hermanus, Gastronomic town of Africa
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Anton Verhoogt (left), owner/head chef of Barefoot Cook Restaurant in Hermanus, treated Darryl David to an eight-course tasting menu for lunch mid-November 2019, exposing him to delicacies such as lamb brains on toast and calves tongue on a mustard risotto. Chef Anton has also agreed to host a “Dinner With…” next year. One week after Overstrand Hermanus was designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, a full programme of new events has already been confirmed, beginning December 2019.
“Cape Whale Coast Tourism would like to celebrate the Overstrand’s UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy award by adding extra creative flair to our outdoor markets – the hubs of local fare........" The rest of this FULL article is - HERE |
Hermanus, Gastronomic town of Africa, near Cape Town, South Africa
MISSION STATEMENT - - - Mission Launched in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) aims to strengthen cooperation with and among cities that have recognized creativity as a strategic factor of sustainable development as regards economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects. By joining the Network, cities acknowledge their commitment to sharing best practices, developing partnerships that promote creativity and the cultural industries, strengthening participation in cultural life and integrating culture in urban development plans. The Network further commits to supporting the United Nations frameworks, particularly the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.The UNESCO Creative Cities Network covers seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music. MORE INFO can be read HERE
Incredible meals from local amazing chefs/restaurants -
Raspberry and mint sorbet
Roast duck breast with beetroot
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Scallops with peach sauce
Seared tuna cutlets in spicy sweetcorn mayo jus
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Seafood creamy soup
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Smoked salmon sushi
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Spicy Chicken tandoori salad
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Springbok fillet, beetroot, shitake mushrooms
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Summer fruit pavlova
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Tempura Prawns in plum sauce
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Duck pie on bed of apple salad
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Springbok fillet, beetroot, raspberry and pomegranate jus
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King Protea, fynbos flowers, table decorations
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Lamb cutlets in rich stew gravy and mint
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Seared tuna cutlets in soya sauce peas and leeks
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Grilled Hake fillet, crispy potatoes, tangy salad
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Duck deconstructed, beetroot, raspberry, goats cheese, with Pinot Noir
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Lamb ribs on pea sauce, sage stuffing
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Springbok shank, on a bed of bacon, cheese mash
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Malva orange pudding with popcorn
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Peppered fillet beef steak, crunchy onion strips
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Pork belly spicy Ramen noodles
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Beef tartar, balsmic, quail egg
Charcoaled Hake in cheese sauce
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Apple and raisin tart
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Indian chicken curry, sambals, roti
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Spicy Prawn tomato linguini, parmesan cheese
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Duck breast, lentils, on bed of mash
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Beer battered fish and chips, mushy peas
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Whale Watching boat trips and tours - season CLOSED - restarts in JUNE 2023
Restaurants –
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On the way to Hermanus – via R44 –
KabelJoe's Seafood – Kleinmond Bistro 365 – Pringle Bay On the way to Hermanus – via N2 and R43 – Salt @ Paul Cluver – Elgin Peregrine Farm Stall – Elgin Gabrielskloof – Botriver Racione & Forage @ Wildekrans – Botriver Moody Lagoon @ Benguela Cove Hemel–en–Aarde, wine valley of Hermanus – up the R320 towards Caledon – Mana @ Bartho Eksteen B’s Bistro @ La Vierge Newton Johnson Moggs Spookfontein Creation |
Hermanus town centre –
Burgundy Char’d Pear Tree Paradiso La Pentola Origins @ The Marine Appetite Knight @ The Gallery Café – (plant based) Fabios (Italian) Tikka Palace (Indian, Pakistan, Nepalese) Lemonicious (seafood) Tosca (Portuguese) Fishermans Cottage Cuckoo Tree Barefoot Cook Wine Glass Ficks Dutchies Oskars Rossi’s Bientang’s Cave |
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Hermanus New Harbour –
The Harbour Rock Quayside Cabin (seafood) Voelklip – Lizettes Dutchies Walker Bay Grill Birkenhead House |
Stanford –
Stanford Hills Havercrofts Madres Mosiac Farm Springfontein Eats Stanford Manor House Grootbos Blue Gum KleinRiver Cheese Farm |
Breweries – there are 5 locally – Honingklip (near Botriver), Hermanus Brewery, Old Harbour, Folk & Goode @ Newton Johnson, Birkenhead (at Stanford).
Wineries, wine estates, wine cellars of Hermanus –
Hermanus Wine estates and vineyards, Hemel-en-Aarde valley, South Africa
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WALKER BAY and HERMANUS WINERIES -
Hermanus has a high concentration of Wine Farms and Wine Estates, with the entire valley called Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven and Earth) and rightly named too, as it has outstanding mountain scenery and lush farmlands - the valley is split into 3 Wards - Hemel-en-Aarde, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Listed below are ALL of the Wine estates of Walker Bay from Elgin thro' Hermanus and Stanford to Elim and Napier. Some wineries produce and offer excellent - Olives, Olive oils, Honey, Chocolate, Food and Wine pairings. Many wineries also have excellent Restaurants offering Breakfast and Lunches - some are open for Evening Dinners. |
Hermanus wineries and wine estates in Hemel-en-Aarde valley, South Africa
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HERMANUS WINERIES - (23)
HermanusPietersFontein - food market on Saturday Whalehaven & Idiom Southern Right WijnSkool & Bartho Eksteen Hamilton Russell - oldest winery in the valley Ashbourne Bouchard Finlayson - cheese/meat platters Lotter Family Wines - at Die Plaaskombuis restaurant La Vierge - with a restaurant Bosman - nibbles / platters Sumaridge - platters / lunches Newton Johnson & Felicite - with a restaurant Restless River Spookfontein - with a restaurant Hemelrand Alheit Vineyards Ataraxia Creation & Pod - with a restaurant Mount Babylon Jakob's Vineyards Domaine Des Dieux Storm 7 Springs Wine Village & wine emporium @ Hemel-en-Aarde village Benguela Cove (on Botrivier Lagoon R43) - with a restaurant --------------------- Moggs Country Cookhouse is also a great restaurant - half-way along Hemel-en-Aarde valley |
Wine Tours of Hermanus wineries offering over 120 wines in the pretty Hemel-en-Aarde wine valley - tours to other wine regions too
Wine bottles in Hermanus, Stanford, Botrivers, Elgin winelands, South Africa
Oak Barrel Wine Cellars in Hermanus, Stanford, Botrivers, Elgin winelands, South Africa
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GRABOUW & ELGIN WINERIES - (28)
Elgin Vintners Corder Family Paul Cluver - restaurant called SALT Oak Valley South Hills Ross Gower Iona William Everson Basco Shannon Lothian; Hannay C. Marshall Elgin Ridge Belfield Elgin Valley Thandi Paul Wallace Charles Fox Glen Erskine Kingsbridge Oneiric Almenkerk Arumdale Spioenkop Highlands Road Sutherland Barry Gould ------------------------------------------- STANFORD WINERIES - (10) Misty Mountains Sir Robert Stanford Stanford Hills / Jacksons - restaurant Welgesind Cellars Walker Bay - (Birkenhead) - restaurant Springfontein - restaurant Raka Boschrivier Brunia Vaalvlei |
Wine grapes ready for harvest Hermanus, Stanford, Botrivers, Elgin winelands, South Africa
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BOTRIVIER WINERIES - (16)
Gabrielskloof - restaurant Anysbos Paardenkloof Genevieve MCC Maremmana Eerste Hoop Goedvertrouw Luddite Beaumont Rivendell - restaurant Feiteiras Wildekrans - restaurant Barton Arcangeli Wines Ecology Lifestyle - restaurant Villion Family Wines |
Winery Tasting Rooms in Hermanus, Stanford, Botrivers, Elgin winelands, South Africa
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ELIM and NAPIER WINERIES - (8)
Jean Daneel Zoetendal The Berrio Black Oystercatcher - restaurant Strandveld / 1st Sighting Lomond The Drift Farm Sijnn Winery - Malgas VILLIERSDORP WINERIES - (2) Villiersdorp Kelder Faraway House GREYTON WINERIES - (2) Andy Mitchell Lismore |
Winery Oak barrel cellars in Hermanus, Stanford, Botrivers, Elgin winelands, South Africa
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Wineries in Hermanus, Stanford, Botrivers, Elgin winelands, South Africa
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Winery vineyards in Hermanus, Stanford, Botrivers, Elgin winelands, South Africa
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Winery Tasting Rooms in Hermanus, Stanford, Botrivers, Elgin winelands
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Hermanus. Botriver and Stanford Wineries and Wine Routes - 90mins from Cape Town, South Africa
Hermanus Wine Festival - designated transport company for the Wine Festival - DON'T drink'n'drive
