Creation on the Move
So much to do, so little time … Daniela and I are just back from a whirlwind trip which took us from London across the UK as far as the Channel Islands and back again. The major part of our trip was dedicated to a series of events titled, ‘Adapting to Change – a Celebration of South African Food, Wine and Horticulture’. A sincere thank you to Guy and Julia Hands and the Hand Picked Hotels team for their exceptional hospitality and the opportunity to share Creation’s fine wine alchemy with their guests and members of the press. We hope that many will be inspired to experience the biodiversity of our region first hand and join us on the journey of innovation and sustainability we have embarked on.
We also found time to present a number of exciting private tastings and wish to thank all our associates and friends who hosted these successful events. Last week, I reported on the first leg of our trip; what follows are some highlights of the rest of our trip.
25 May: Nutfield Priory, Surrey
Nutfield Priory is a magnificent Victorian mansion built in 1872, and inspired by the neo-Gothic splendour of the Palace of Westminster. This is where we presented the third in our series of ‘Adapting to Change’. Among the many treats was Corné Pretorius of Riebeek Valley Garden Centre regaling us with stories of fairy orchids from the Knysna Forest.
26 May: 67 Pall Mall London
A pre-bank holiday weekend lunch gave us the opportunity to taste some of the latest Creation Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vintages with a small group of wine writers and friends. I look forward to sharing the notes shortly.
26 – 28 May: Channel Islands
On the Friday evening we flew to Jersey in the Channel Islands, where we had the pleasure of staying at the Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa in St Helier. The Hand Picked team excelled in finding beautiful South African flowers to enhance the South African biodiversity and horticulture theme, while the chefs did a remarkable job, delighting us with contemporary South African cuisine to pair with our fine wines.
The next day we hopped onto Guy and Julia’s boat and sped off to Guernsey. The sheer beauty and variety of their gardens are something to treasure, especially with expert horticulturists in attendance. We were introduced to the Italian and Japanese Gardens and were particularly impressed with the experimental South African Garden set up to mitigate possible water challenges in the future. And what a delight to discover the fields of wild orchids and visit the fascinating fairy circles!
In Guernsey we stayed at Hand Picked luxury St Pierre Park where we were spoiled thoroughly once more! On Sunday morning we had breakfast with Charl and Monica, two of our wonderful ex-Creation chefs who moved to Guernsey last year. And in no time we had to prepare for our lunchtime tasting. And what fun it was with 140 guests in attendance – a real celebration! The day was rounded off with dinner at an exceptional local Indian restaurant.
29 May: London
Monday was a bank holiday and what a special treat it was to visit the Tate Modern with my dear friend Amy. To me, the Piet Mondrian and Hilma Af Klint exhibitions were of particular interest. Mondrian has always inspired me, and discovering Hilma Af Klint’s work was a revelation! Of course we had to do some book shopping as Tate Modern has the bookshop of all bookshops. I was able to source some remarkable books which I’m sure will help inspire our chefs when we turn our attention to modern Japanese plant-based dishes. Yes, we will be experimenting with these dishes on my return and look forward, as always, to our guests’ comments and input.
30 May: Kinghams, Surrey
We have incredible friends who at the same time are great Creation fans. Among them is Jack Foster and his team at Kinghams in Surrey. The inspiring team once again proved just how capable they are by creating a terrific pairing menu. It all seemed so effortless! Thank you Jack and your team for introducing us to a wonderful new group of friends, some of whom we hope to see in South Africa soon.
From the UK, I travelled to the Netherlands where new culinary surprises awaited. More about that next week!