Action Ads - 9 June 2005
Our plans for GASTRONOMICA were announced at a launch on Friday 3 June 2005 at Thesen Harbour Town, Knysna.
Knysna will host a major event in September to highlight its fast-growing reputation as one of the country's major culinary centres. Gastronomica, planned as an annual event, is scheduled for the school holidays from 23 September to 1 October 2005.
The purpose of the event is to give a different new additionally exciting perspective to Knysna and the Garden Route as major tourist destinations for both South Africans and overseas visitors. Over the last few years a quiet revolution has taken place in our town on a culinary front, backed by an increasingly varied agricultural output ranging from organic produce, exotic fruits and nuts to home grown meat, wine and cheese making."
"Although everything is built around food, Gastronomica is much more than just eating and tasting. Fashion, music, the visual and performing arts, all form part of the celebration, but everything will be food-related. As an example, there will be a cinema week during which famous movies with a food theme will be screened."
Features of the event include a chocolate-patisserie competition, with the winners being flown to Switzerland on holiday and the opportunity to work for a week with a world-famous chocolatier. Other major events will be cooking demonstrations by international and local chefs such as Jody Adams of the famous Rialto Restaurant in Boston and Reuben Riffel of the award-winning Franschhoek restaurant that bears his name; a restaurant route that snakes through the town, and Femme Fatale, a gala dinner celebrating the role if women in gastronomy.
These and other events will be backed up by farmer's markets, wine tastings, exhibitions of the latest in culinary equipment, as well as master classes for culinary professionals, presented by Jody Adams.
Although events are being scheduled at venues across Knysna, the main events will be centered in Thesen Harbour Town, the vibey commercial hub of the new Thesen Islands development on the Knysna Lagoon. Ample parking will be available.
Gastronomica also has an important community development function."We are involving as many members of the community as possible in all aspects of the event. Tourism is a major source of income for the town, but training facilities do not exist locally to provide opportunities for people to participate in a meaningful way . By instituting extensive mentoring programmes as part of the event, we hope to be able to equip them fro a career in this industry."
Our website should be up and running during June. Please make sure you know what GASTRONOMICA entails and spread the word to everyone you know - especially to out of town visitors.
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