30 tonnes of cheese to be consumed in Stellenbosch

Cheese lovers are in for a feast this weekend when a mountain of Cape delicacies will be offered at the South African Cheese Festival in Stellenbosch.

In addition to the 30 tonnes of cheese expected to be consumed by festival goers‚ a range of fresh produce including berries‚ pomegranates and figs will be available at the Cape Made: Taste the Alternatives exhibition. Wine tastings will also be on the menu.

The event has been designed to be water-wise to ensure that it has no impact on the region’s scarce water resources. Organisers have introduced the use of temporary chemical toilets and borehole water‚ with drinking water and ice obtained from non-drought-stricken areas. They had also arranged waterless hand sanitation and had strict fire hazard regulations in place.

The 17th annual edition of the event‚ sponsored by the Western Cape Provincial Government and Wesgro‚ will have a dedicated #waterwise exhibition area‚ and alternative and climate-smart crops will be showcased.

MEC for Economic Opportunities Alan Winde said the 17th annual festival would be promoting items that required labour-intensive production‚ particularly those that could lead to job growth. The event is part of the provincial government’s Project Khulisa strategy which aims to create 100‚000 new jobs in the agricultural and agri-processing sectors.

“This festival has‚ for a number of years‚ provided a platform which has helped small scale producers to market their products and expand their customers base‚ which in turn helps them grow their businesses and create more jobs‚” he said.

To promote this‚ farmers were being encouraged to diversify their crops to include berries and cherries.

Under the #waterwise theme‚ the Cape Made Kitchen would host demonstrations of water-conscious recipes by chef Selwyn October. A book of these recipes‚ including some by celebrity chefs Herman Lensing‚ Zola Nene and Johnny Hamman‚ would be available for free at the event.

Winde said in previous years the festival had brought 30‚000 visitors to the festival over the three-day period‚ leaving an impact on the tourism and hospitality economy long after they had gone home.

Tim Harris‚ CEO of Wesgro‚ which is also sponsoring the event‚ said the festival had earned its status as one of the best culinary events in Africa and welcomed the decision to make it water-wise.

* TimesLIVE previously indicated‚ in the headline‚ that 30 tonnes of cheese would be consumed in one day when‚ in fact‚ it will be consumed over three days.

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