Convivium 2015

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Inspired by MAD Symposium, Cook It Raw, Terra Madre et al. The event was conceptualised by Wesley Randles – head chef at The Pot Luck Club and Andy Fenner – owner of Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants.

“This is an event that aims to showcase food, chefs and producers in the most primal way possible. The way to do this is to close the gap between the end product (a meal) and the starting point (the earth and the animal). Chefs and producers have the power to do this by showcasing the theatre in the process(es) that are part of the transformation. By stripping out the frills and unnecessary bullshit that sterile cooking environments can lead to, this is a stage for real collaboration, real inspiration and real connection.”

Held on the beautiful Badenhorst wine farm, Kalmoesfontein, on February 1st 2015, I assisted designer Cornelia Badenhorst in the setup and design and popped-up some shaved ice, handmade cordials and natural infusions on the day.

I worked with the brilliant Roger Jorgensen, a master craft distiller and maker of magical potions. We conceptualised a Gin & Tonic with a difference – a ‘ginspiration’, and then made cocktails on the fly as the guests came by and decided on their fancy.

Drink design
– I had made some Rooibos Kombucha which paired beautifully with the fynbos infusions that I made on the day from the fynbos herb garden at Kalmoesfontein.
– Adi Badenhorst (extraordinary wine maker and owner of Kalmoesfontein) gave me some of his freshly pressed white and red grape juice to work with as a base.

Infusions:
Hot – Red grape, rose geranium, pomegranate
Hot – White grape, lemon grass, lemon geranium and mint

Cold – White grape, Lemon, fennel and lemon buchu
Cold – Red grape, rose geranium and rooibos

Other producers and chefs on the day were PJ Vadas and his smoker ‘The Hog’, Jason from Jason Bakery, the guys from Rosetta Roastery, Espresso Lab, Buffalo Ridge Mozzarella, Honest Chocolate, Kobus van der Merwe, Vanessa Marx, Ivor Jones, Luke Dale-Roberts, Franck Dangereaux, Liam Tomlin, Markus Farbinger and Liezie Mulder and more… and beautiful wine from Kalmoesfontein and the surrounding Swartland valley.

Photographs by Hein van Tonder.

All in all and insanely delicious and interesting day.