Refresh your ‘inner space’
For the love of good food, Kwazulu-natal’s largest lifestyle show is on this weekend at the Durban Exhibition Centre, writes Lutho Pasiya
The East Coast Radio House & Garden Show, themed “Refresh Your Space Inside and Out”, is in full swing and ends next Sunday.
The show’s foodie fair is a major attraction this year, where those who love good food can take a break from getting ideas on how to spruce their homes by exploring the foodie fair.
Set in its own marquee, it’s a lip-smacking smorgasbord of local and international flavours designed to stimulate your taste buds, ensuring you leave full of fresh food and inspiration.
For the duration of the show, you can get your mouth watering with bunny chow from Dolly’s Curries, a Moroccan burger from D’urban Burger Co, or vegan dips from Martinnaise; then wash it all down with boutique wines from top local producers.
Speaking about top local wine producers, the KZN School of Wine will be sharing their secrets of wine and food pairing, offering testers from top estates such as Kzn-based Abingdon Wine at the Chef’s Theatre on Thursday and Saturday.
Started two years ago, the KZN School of Wine provides informative and fun wine courses tailored to individual taste.
Founder Laurie Smorthwaite says she realised the need for industry training in KZN, as well as the growing public desire to learn more about wine.
“When I moved back to South Africa in 2013, having done my wine qualifications in London, I wanted to establish a school where people could learn more about wine straight from the vineyard, no matter what age they were or how much they knew,” she says.
“We run courses to suit all levels of knowledge, from wine enthusiasts to industry professionals.”
The courses focus primarily on wine appreciation skills, from tasting techniques to food and wine pairing. A large part of the course is practical wine tasting, learning to differentiate between grape varieties and evaluate the quality of a wine.
The school is accredited to offer the most prestigious wine qualification globally through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.
“At the time, the Cape was the only place to gain this qualification and I wanted the East Coast to have access to this in their own province,” Smorthwaite says. “At the House and Garden Show we will be doing a range of talks, to include a master class on food and wine pairing, as well as wine tasting presentation on unusual varieties and taking risks with wine choices.
“In addition, there will be sessions showcasing the wines of Abingdon Wine Estate. I love being able to engage with guests and get to know their personal preferences. It is always great to be able to offer someone a new discovery in wine.
“When it comes to food and wine pairing, everyone is different. There are a few guidelines to follow that I will talk about in the classes. My biggest advice is keeping it simple.
“Picture the wine as flavours and match that with the flavours in the dish. Whether the wine shows asparagus, peach or red cherries, there will be a dish that works beautifully with it.
“Always consider the level of sweetness, acid and salt in your dish as these all have big influence on the wine”, says Smorthwaite.
You can also look out for Indian sweetmeats from Divine Treats, home-made ice cream from Ballina Ice Cream, or sucrose-free Belgian chocolate from Rhubee’s Chocolatiers of Distinction.
Then recharge with coffee in a cone from Mocktails or an energising espresso from the Love Coffee Truck. Those with an unquenchable thirst can choose between craft beer or gin on tap at the Backyard Bar Shed – the trendy evolution of the man cave.
Tickets are from R60-R85, under 12s free, available from itickets under housegardenshow.co.za