Bliss at Spier

Summertime has Capetonians and tourists heading to Spier outside Stellenbosch for good wine, picnics, and fresh local food at the restaurant Eight. For Platteland, the highlight of the year is the Secret Festival with its lovely food market under the trees (above) and talks about the future of sustainable food, such as the ways in which vegetables, fruit and meat are preserved in Brazillian villages without electricity. This year Fritz Schoon also bowled over the audience with his talk about how grains (and bread) have become less healthy and less nutritious (and what he’s doing about it). It was so fascinating we’re planning an article on grains and bread in our Autumn issue, on sale from 2 March 2015. Contact spier.co.za