was lucky enough to be invited to the Eat In RMB Private Bank South African Produce Awards ceremony today. i was invited because of this blog (yay! my cyberspace ramblings are not for nought). it was a super event, held in the Old Biscuit Mill (Neighbourgoods Market shed). we were served SIX courses with the presentation of the awards scattered inbetween…

i couldn’t help marvelling at how awesome it is that we have this kind of award ceremony in SA… herewith a blurb from the Eat In 2009 magazine (it hits shelves on the 8th – go grab a copy!!! it’s AWESOME):

The prestigious awards give the so-called little guys of the local food industry a chance to show off their prime produce. These independent producers are each doing their bit to put South Africa on the international food map with their passionate and ethical approach towards high-quality food. A small producer is only as strong as its outlet, however, which is why the awards also recognise shops and markets for the important role they play in promoting these guys.

now is that rad or what? small, local, independent, ethical producers. it doesn’t get better than that in my opinion. and kudos to RMB for supporting this kind of initiative. RMB’s marketing manager said that 70% of their clients are entrepreneurs, which i also think is rad. we need more support for people who are going out on their own and boosting our economy and creating jobs.

but back to the food! the entries were judged by a real Who’s Who of the south african foodie scene. (justine drake, peter goffe-wood, anna trapido, michelle barry). so i trust their opinion! gosh, i think i will have to do this over a few posts, as there is so much to say about all of this.

a buffalo!

but for now… for our starter we got to taste the overall winner – the Best New Product, which went to Buffalo Ridge’s Mozzarello di Bufala (made in Wellington). SO utterly heavenly. the judges’ said it surpasses imported buffalo mozzarella from Italy! go local go. Wayne Rademeyer, who makes it, imported 24 water buffalo from Australia to start his business. you really have to taste this cheese.

also in the starter was Trevor Daly’s artisanal wood-fired-oven bread. he won the Small Producer: Bakery award (the bread category). yum yum yummy. no more processed bread for me thanks. he makes it at home in worcester, and sells it every saturday morning at the neighbourgoods market in woodstock. but he’s popular – so you better get there early to get some.

wow, i’ve got so much more to say, and it’s getting late. more instalments and winners to be announced soon, i promise. in the meantime, get your R39,95 ready to hit the stores on 8 september. that’s when the new Eat In 2009 magazine hits the shelves. i have a copy and i can’t wait to climb into bed now and devour it from cover to cover. it’s thicker than last year’s and has a lot of COOL looking articles, as well as the usual directory in the back (the directory lists all the best foodie spots countrywide – e.g. cheese producers, deli’s, bakeries etc). will review it tomorrow or friday. (i know R40 sounds like a lot for a magazine, but it’s more than that – it’s the ultimate local eating resource – you will refer back to it again and again! totally worth it).