If you’ve missed my first lip-smacking installment of the best foodie festivals in Cape Town, be sure to read all about it.
We are so blessed to have the most amazing food events and festivals in Cape Town. Let’s face it, food is pretty big in South Africa, and even if you only have a somewhat refined palate, you would have already diarised these upcoming food festivals as not-to-be-missed events. So, without any further ado, here is the second chapter of my favourite foodie festivals diary!
Good Food and Wine Show
2 – 4 June 2018
Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)
Not quite an outdoorsy type of festival (also because it’s smack-bang in the middle of our rainy winter season!) but this is one I never, ever miss. If you are a keen cook and foodie like me, you probably like to keep on top of the latest kitchen gadgets, trends, products, flavours and talents in the food industry. So, throw in a handful of top local and international chefs (including Jenny Morrison!), a flurry of food workshops and interactive experiences, an expo of pop-up stalls, a dash of food vendors, and a cluster of wine tasting opportunities and a kiddie’s corner, and you have a pretty indulgent day lined up.
Be prepared to bump shoulders with others food aficionados, though, because it gets busy! Also make sure to grab your tickets in advance, as the queues for entrance can get crazy on the day.
Coffee and Chocolate Expo
28 – 30 September 2018
Durbanville Racecourse (TBC)
Talk about a match made in heaven. I was beyond myself when I came across the advertisements for the Cape Town Coffee and Chocolate Expo. It was worth the hour-long drive to the Northern Suburbs for the decadent treat I found! Filled to the rafters with all things caffeine and sugar, this is a sweet tooth’s absolute daydream. Here you can laze around drinking coffee and catch up with friends over mellow live music in the Cocoa Mokka Music Lounge, or you can shop to your heart’s content.
I’ve never seen so many artisanal chocolate- and caffeine-inspired products under one roof. My personal favourites included the amazing variety of handmade macarons on offer, the waffle sticks dripping with chocolate sauce and of course the mountain of fudge! A lovely touch was the chocolate and wine pairing experience, which was free on a first come, first served basis. Definitely a must for Cape Town’s chocoholics and coffee connoisseurs!
The Groot Plaasproe @Livestock
11 – 13 October 2018
Sandringham, Stellenbosch
This was a sneaky surprise. Agri-Expo, organiser of the popular South African Cheese Festival, delivered an amazingly fun family day filled with farm animals, hearty food and amazing products for sale. It’s basically a brand new tasting experience of all things farm. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it!
The Groot Plaasproe forms part of the fourth Livestock, a world-class annual showcase of the South African livestock and dairy industry, attracting thousands of agriculture enthusiasts to Sandringham.
There is really something for young and old – massive touch pens with all the furry farm animals, ranging from goats, sheep, cows, horses, alpaca’s, ponies, bunnies, donkeys, chickens (and probably a whole lot more I’ve forgotten to mention!), sheepdog and sheep-shearing competitions, line-dancing, live music with some of Afrikaans’ top singers and lots of local delicacies.
So yes, let’s talk about the food. You name it, it’s there: craft wine, beer and local spirits, goatmeat, steaks, lamb sosaties, roosterkoek, ice cream, artisinal cheese and so much more. Pull up a chair, get your feet bopping to some country music and indulge in a feast of freshly made, local fare. The kids can play and meet the animals the entire day under adult supervision, so you can literally kick up for a few hours and just taste everything what our beautiful city has to offer. I mean. Animals and food. Life is pretty good in Cape Town!
Food festivals are relatively inexpensive ways of treating the whole family to a lovely day outside of the walls of the lounge. It’s the perfect way to drag the kids away from their array of electronic devices because let’s face it; everyone needs to eat, right? So why not make an outing of it and experience your food for the adventure it’s supposed to be?