Kleinood Farm & Winery was our first-ever table in Africa last year, and we haven’t stopped thinking about it. This little farm grows wine grapes and olive trees on the side of Helderberg Mountain, just outside of Cape Town. Their name means “something small and precious”, and we’ve never seen a better argument that good things come in small packages – the soft scent of perfume roses wafting through the air, the flavors of their house verjus, honey and olive oil and the surrounding mountains that turn purple with the setting sun. There are so many good things tucked into this little place. We can’t wait to return for another visit, and we are excited to have Chef Jenny Ward from Makers Landing back in the field kitchen for the second time. This time, she is bringing friend, collaborator and Makers Landing incubator graduate Strone Henry from Kos Gangsta to help create the menu. Together, they’ll celebrate the diverse array of flavors in South African cuisine with a focus on the unique influences of Cape Town.
Regions: Africa
Hendy Farms Mango Orchard
Our second-ever event in Africa is a very special one. In the field kitchen, we host Chef Fatmata Binta, the passionate woman behind Ghana’s Dine On A Mat, where she cooks up modern interpretations of West African cuisine. Fatmata crafts innovative and interactive menus based on the nomadic traditions of the Fulani people, with a focus on heritage ingredients, sustainability, and female empowerment. For her efforts, Chef Binta has been awarded the 2022 Basque Culinary World Prize, the Nobel Prize of Gastronomy. To celebrate this momentous achievement, she will cook what promises to be an incredible meal in the renowned mango orchards of Hendy Farms, a lush family-owned mango farm in the foothills of the Larteh Mountains. Host farmers Sandra Snowden and Rita Brobey will welcome us to dine amongst their trees heavy with ripening mango during their second of two annual harvests—a benefit of their unique location in Dodowa. Join us for this unique celebration of the vibrant flavors and cultures of West Africa, then explore the streets of Accra and its beaches on the Gulf of Guinea.
Noor Fés Olive Estate
A desert oasis in the olive groves, the buzz of a local festival, wafting fragrances in the air, and the dusty green and deep purple olive trees contrasting with the vibrant hues of the nearby city streets…our first table in Morocco will be a paradise to behold. Our guest restaurateur is Mike Richardson from Cafe Clock, named after the centuries old water clock that occupies the facing wall to the Bou Inania Madrasain, in the heart of the ancient city of Fes. The kitchen team at Cafe Clock will guide us on a culinary tour of this profound and magical land, paired with inventive non-alcoholic beverages designed to compliment each course. We’re popping up the table in the olive groves of Noor Fés during their annual olive oil festival. Guests will be granted access to festival programming for the day before sitting down for dinner amongst the Moroccan Picholine olive trees. Dakir and the Amor family stewarded the growth of these trees, with a strong eye on sustainable practices, for over a decade before harvesting their first olive crop. The result is award winning olive oil grown with traditional methods, watered from the springs near the Ain Blouz River. Join us for a day of celebrating the olive tree in this oasis, followed by dinner at the long table, which will be sure to delight with culinary invention and cultural tradition.