The opening event was at Vee and Forti’s wine Emporium hosted by Veralda and Fortunato Mazzone in the private function room of FortiToo Bistro. Our hosts have always been an incredible force and supporters of the Chaîne. Forti is known for his operatic ability and his “Italian family style dinners”. We were treated to an incredible tasting of four wines by The Delaire Graff Estate which were presented by their winemaker, Morné Very.

Our second event was dinner at Clico Boutique Hotel and Restaurant courtesy of the ever-supportive Jeanette Schwegman and her incredible Chef Dario di Angeli. It was so welcoming that we could host an event here as this restaurant has been a proud supporter of the Chaîne well before Jeanette’s induction in 2017. Her love, support, welcoming of Chaîne members, even the little free treats when you dine at her restaurant, are usually so incredible. We even made plans for “Eat from Home on Zoom” Chaîne functions when we were in deep lockdown for COVID-19.

The menu consisted of an oriental fusion. Guests were overwhelmed with the delicate canapes, not to mention the generous portions and excellent value for the event price.

On Saturday 27th the Induction Ceremony was held in the Solstice Room of the HotelSky. After the formalities, we moved to the hotel’s Eclipse Restaurant for the closing dinner and show which was the pièce de resistance of the three days. The idea behind the function was to avoid dwelling on the past and to celebrate the new beginning of the Chaîne in South Africa.

Introducing a new, upcoming, non-member hotel we broke the rules to ensure an event never seen before in South Africa. We had an upbeat, incredible fine dining experience. Paired not only with wine, but with a three-part show featuring singers, fire dancers, ariel ribbon dancers and ethic drummers. The tone was certainly set for an almighty celebration of how far the Bailliage has come since 2021.

Bringing the youth together with seasoned professionals made for a fantastic evening. In the hands of the incredible Chef Ken Puduhudu as well as the front of house teams headed up by Terrence Olivier in Banqueting, and General Manager Ignatious Mambinge, this closing experience for the three-day programme was truly memorable.

In ending this report, I take the opportunity to honour the late François Ferreira (1961-2023). He was loved by many and was our very wise, honest Bailli Délégué during two terms, the second ending on May 31st with his sad passing. François loved the Chaîne. He breathed life into it, and most importantly he stuck to the key mantra “Fellowship of the table”. He was never a food snob. François delighted in showing all, young, and old, the beauty of food, wine, and camaraderie.

Llewellyn Buckley-Marais
Bailli Délégué