African Vanielje on May 31 2008 at 4:04 pm | Filed under: foodie events
The Eat In RMB Private Bank SA Produce Awards are a showcase and much deserved acknowledgment of those small private and artisan suppliers and producers who are uncompromisingly swimming against the current. Having grown up in a commercial kitchen where my mother ALWAYS championed small, local, artisan producers this is not a new concept to me. However, in the world of food fashion local, seasonal, artisanal, are all synonyms for the new culinary black. And about time too.
Just how much common sense does it take to realise that ethically produced seasonal food is going to deliver the most flavour packed punch around. Food made available at the peak of perfection, by producers who care about the product they deliver, in synch with the seasons, the surroundings and the salivating consumer is really foodie nirvana. But just how many of us have the time or knowledge to go out there and source all of this perfection ourselves?
Luckily, awards like these give us the opportunity to both nominate and vote for producers and suppliers who are doing all the hard work for us. So if there is something delicious out there and you think more people should know about it, go to the Eat In page and add your nominations. While you are there, check out other nominations and place your vote. You can vote as often as you like.
I have nominated, amongst others, Origin Coffee Roasters , an artisan coffee roastery and supplier, based in trendy De Waterkant, in Cape Town. The passion of Joel Singer and David Donde, Origin Coffee Roasters can best be summed up with the words passionate fanaticism. Generally I’m against fanaticism as it takes perfectionism (which I can relate to) one step further into the realms of slightly anal and possibly a bit scary.
However, the passionate part suggests artistry and eccentricity and the willingness to be moved. Whether this is by the persuasive arguments of equally passionate members of their team (they encourage their staff to stand up for their beliefs), or a desire to discover that ephemeral ‘best’ coffee bean out there. They have a good relationship with their coffee growers and have been known to buy an exceptional crop site unseen, based on said growers recommendations, a good sign of a forward thinking, co-operative company.
For my part I was first drawn to Origin by a mix of fabulous coffee (about which I am a bit fanatical myself) and a sense of humour. This may seem an odd melange but food that takes itself TOO seriously invariably turns to ashes in my mouth. It was at David Donde’s country hotel in Greyton where I first tasted one of his home roasted coffees and was pleasantly surprised. ‘Ooh! That’s good!’ I remember saying to my mom, ‘What is it?’
‘It’s called Mad Bob, from Zimbabwe.’ was the reply. Well, Greyton is full of eccentrics so a moment of shared mirth over the espresso pot was common, but the uncommonly good coffee stayed with me, and luckily with David Donde too, or Joel Singer might never have similarly succumbed, and they might never have set up origin roasters. Here’s to coffee, passion and serendipity.
What a great review. Makes me want to go to SA just to sample their coffee and hang out where their coffee is served. You have a way with words Inge!