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Written by It’s the tastiest date on the South African foodie calendar and an event where trends are born. The new look Good Food & Wine Show comes to Durban from August 8 to 11 and is bang on with what’s hot and fabulous in food and cooking fashions.
Celebrity chefs appearing at the Durban show this year are TV personality James Martin who is a regular face on South African television; Vivek Singh of London’s Cinnamon Club who has transformed the face of Indian cooking; Anjali Pathak, an exciting talent in the Indian food and spice arena and part of the famous Patak spice family and vegan baker Mellissa Morgan who is known to her legions of fans around the world as Ms Cupcake.
James Martin is now arguably the premier foodie on British television. However, the Yorkshireman is down-to-earth, particularly when it comes to getting people into the kitchen and cooking: “People sometimes get so wrapped up about the detail of cooking. To me, it should really be the whole package. Cooking should be about great food with good people. I’m delighted to be coming to Durban and can’t wait to meet visitors to the show.”
Vivek Singh will be at the Durban edition of the Good Food & Wine Show
Vivek Singh’s award-winning food has established The Cinnamon Club as probably the most famous Indian restaurant in the world. Vivek is also one of the most articulate Indian chefs of his generation. He explains his concept of Indian food: “In my experience of cooking Indian cuisine, I have come across numerous examples of authenticity as a reason for not doing things rather than trying something different. I wanted to free Indian food from the strait-jacket of tradition and, in order to do so, it was important to push the perceived boundaries beyond what was considered to be authentic.”
Says Anjali Pathak: “I have learnt most of what I know about Indian cooking from my family and professional Indian chefs across the world. I have travelled around most of India trying to absorb the nuances of regional cuisines. For me this does not just relate to Indian cuisine, but to cooking in general, and so I decided to study at Leiths School of Food and Wine in London. Some may say what does an Indian chef need to learn British and French cooking for?! But I love bridging the gap between traditional Indian and contemporary international cuisine. Spices are some of the most exciting ingredients to work with and when you have mastered the basics, all you need to do is practice and find what you like best. In the end cooking is about having fun in the kitchen and trying not to lose control! I also like to prove that Indian food is healthy and it is not only about rich sauces and curries. I am delighted to be coming to South Africa for the first time; it is something I have always wanted to do.”
Larger-than-life Ms Cupcake is out to show visitors to the show that everybody can eat cake, regardless of allergies: “Everybody deserves great cake. It is my job to create indulgent and decadent cakes for them regardless of what they can, and cannot eat. I want to bring ‘free from’ cake to the masses. My team and I do this through baking incredible cakes, raising the profile of a vegan diet and educating people on how they can create ‘free from’ cakes for themselves.”
Locally sourced food and children’s nutrition are the leading trends in 2013, according to the US National Restaurant Association’s annual “What’s hot 2013 chef survey” and the Good Food & Wine Show is bang up-to-date with these global predictions. It will present two new theatres in Durban this year – the Little Chefs Kitchen and The Real Food Theatre, a fully interactive experience covering sustainability and home grown produce.
The Good Food & Wine Show is more interactive than ever before – the whole family can interact with local and global foodie personalities who are showcasing their culinary skills while exhibitors have the opportunity to communicate directly with their target market.
The Good Food & Wine Show is being partnered with Fiera Milano, the world’s leading Exhibition Company. This is the recipe for all that’s fabulous in the kitchen! Don’t miss it.
James Martin headlines at the Good Food and Wine Show Durban along with Indian maestro’s Anjali Pathak and Vivek Singh,
