Premier Magazine (South AFrica)
Visit Franschhoek this Winter
Visit Franschhoek this winter!
Autumn is when Franschhoek, fine-dining mecca of the winelands, normally takes a deep sigh and relaxes as the hordes of tourists return to warmer Northern climes.not so this year. There is an uneasiness as Winter nudges closer. The village has experienced a ‘high’ season that has been particularly low. Visitor numbers have been decimated, which in turn has knocked the hospitality industry, the mainstay of Franschhoek.
Some restaurants have closed their doors, TO LET signs dot the main road, and on Mondays to Thursdays few eateries are open. Quite simply, for many there is no more fat in the pan. But, many also believe this could also force a much-needed turnaround for the village, which for years has been fiercely focused on foreign tourists (PRECOVID they accounted for 85% of visitors). There is now an active move to attract more locals, both from Cape Town and upcountry.
“This is a teachable moment,” says Imraan Vagar, coowner with his partner, chef Chris Smit, of Smitten, new kid on the culinary block in Franschhoek and one of a few eateries that have opened during the pandemic. “There is a problem here: if you do not have the support of the locals throughout the year you are putting yourself in a precarious position. Where is the adaptation? Where is the change of menu? This wretched pandemic has brought into stark relief the fact that Franschhoek has been relying entirely on foreign tourism. Many places only ever deigned to cater for locals in Winter, throwing scraps of Winter specials to incentivize you to come. Our business model is to offer people affordable, good quality food. This is an opportunity for the village to rebrand, to say ‘yes, we have fine dining, but we also have this’. There is a place for all of it. I am not saying cheapen it. I am saying make it versatile.”
Chris Erasmus, legendary chef and owner of Foliage – which closed its doors last week – agrees now is the time for a change in the way the hospitality industry in Franschhoek has operated. “Franschhoek was a bubble. It was not real. When I got here in 2003, there were not many places to eat. Then it exploded … But overheads are a killer – and the only way Franschhoek will survive is if landlords take turnoverbased rental.”
Erasmus, who is now collaborating with hotel-owner Abigail Rands in Robertson, predicts a shift in the fine-dining industry with a move to retail and product development. “People will still be eating a food prepared by a chef – but at your house. It will be pre-cooked meals, jarred food, popup dinners.”
But Franschhoek is gearing up to attract people to its attractions beyond the famed food. There is an emphasis on marketing outdoor activities in Franschhoek. “We are not going to have international tourists until South Africans are vaccinated,” says Ruth Mccourt of Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourism. “The festivals we have had in the village in the past are still happening – but will be different and decentralised to farms. There is also a big focus on Berg River dam activities and marketing outdoor activities such as hiking and cycling.” Another positive is that the popular Franschhoek Wine Tram is already getting inquiries and bookings from would-be foreign visitors for year-end.
While people were starting to feel a bit more buoyant “this will be a survival year for us across the entire industry,” says Mccourt. “Money is tight – and a lot of restaurateurs are still waiting for insurance pay-out. But no size fits all currently as some restaurants whether bistro, coffee shop, or a La Petit Colombe/reubens/maison Chefs Warehouse are doing very well on their open days.”
Traders at Franschhoek Market are also desperate for some respite. Gift Musemwa is one of five of 22 stall owners still operating. “There used to be busloads of tourists here every day – now we are just trying to survive. I have a family of five in Zimbabwe to support – I am just lucky I do not
have to pay rent for my stall at the moment. But, like last year, I definitely would not be going home this year.”
Elaine Dendy Young, owner of a property management company, Our House, expressed concern for many in the hospitality industry. “I am worried for people this Winter. Summer has not provided many in the hospitality industry with enough of a buffer. If I were solely relying on a guesthouse for my income, it would be a different story. We are lucky to do property management as well as have accommodation space. Many owners have been unable to get here from Europe and the United Kingdom and are relieved we are here. Some have not been here for 18 months.”
Young also noted South African tourists prefer selfcatering accommodation for Franschhoek weekends. “Locals who come for a weekend prefer to eat at home and maybe go out for a meal once over the weekend. Wellpriced breakfast venues are, however, doing well.”
Jo Sinfield of Explorers Club that offers accommodation options, agreed Franschhoek needs to embrace local tourism and that “agility and flexibility, while it will not happen overnight, is vital”. “Confidence in local travel will take some time to come back. I think the biggest challenge of this Winter will be the lack of international tourists over the past Summer.”
Someone who rolled with the COVID punches was Jeremy Davids, principal of the Franschhoek Hospitality Academy and Learning Centre that opened its doors in 2018. Its aim is to provide quality hospitality training to disadvantaged people, mainly from the local community, with guaranteed employment after graduation at partner establishments. “Covid caught us by surprise. We had to move the curriculum online – but we decided not to shove it down their throats. We were more concerned about their wellbeing,” Davids says. “As many students lost their part-time jobs, the program was adjusted to help them help themselves and their families: Vegetable gardening skills and financial literacy were included, and all students worked alongside chefs on feeding schemes. When the 24 students went back to class, they were more focused than ever – and everyone got a job placement in the village after graduating.”
This year there is a strong focus on fund-raising for students’ education as some funders have redirected their resources to Covid-related projects. “We continue to train local people in hospitality – people will return to a place if they are treated well. This impacts on providing work for people. We really want to shape the individual, to make the student employable,” said Davids.
Initiatives to feed the hungry continue in Franschhoek. Some landowners donated land for crops for soup kitchens and food packs. These crops are still feeding the hungry and many villagers buy a weekly veggie box with the proceeds used for meat and other goods to supplement meals.
Another potential future boost for the village is the current upgrading of the Franschhoek High School, with partnership investor input, into an elite training and recreational facility for international and local athletes.
As the Winter clouds roll in, there are green shoots of hope just beneath the surface as Franschhoek hopes to prove – both to itself and its visitors – that local is the lekker way forward.