AFTER a great weekend of stoep sitting, strolling, and enjoying exquisite food and wine, Mid-Karoo Express caught up with Rose and Gordon Wright, main organisers of the annual Stoep Tasting event.
Were you happy with this year’s Stoep Tasting?
Absolutely! Tickets were sold out and the master classes were very popular. Axel Hill’s port, cigar and chocolate pairing was a grand affair – people loved relaxing in the cigar lounge at the Drostdy, learning and puffing away!
At the gala dinner on Thursday evening, fabulous collaboration between the chefs of Glen Carlou and the Drostdy team produced a first class meal at Cold Stream Restaurant.
The Farmer’s Market at Union Prep was quite busy?
Yes, the preschool parents really worked themselves to the bone for the school to raise some money. It is a small group who sign up for this, and they simply do this for the greater good of their children and for children still to come. We should also mention Camdeboo Hospice and Parsonage Street Home’s committees – they are also small teams putting in huge efforts and long hours for the benefit of these two organisations who serve our community so selflessly.
Stoep Taste started out small in 2013, but today it is probably the biggest event of the year in Graaff-Reinet?
If the town, businesses and stoep hosts didn’t buy into it the way they do, it wouldn’t be half of what it has become!
Each year people go out of their way to make it bigger and better. We are so fortunate to have such a community spirited group of people living here! We had 100% local vendors, and there are so many people to thank!
Graaff-Reinet Club and Klub Libertas created awesome venues that buzzed with Stoep Taster all weekend long. ISU Rommel provided every stoep with a drum, cleared them on Saturday morning and again after the event, while the municipal clean-up crews ensured clean streets. The SAPS constantly patrolled the route, ensuring the safety of our visitors.
The Graaff-Reinet Tourism Office also plays a big role, don’t they?
Yes, we are very thankful for Jack van Niekerk, Timothy Marais and Khanya Mbaile, who put in long hours, finding accommodation for visitors and solving any issues for the last few months.
All in all . . .
This year was definitely the best Stoep Tasting so far – there have been so many compliments and kind words coming in. People loved it! The town benefits big time (to the tune of around R20-25 million, and that’s excluding wine sales!) We couldn’t have asked for anything more! Most accommodation is already booked for next year – Stoep Tasters and producers just want to be back again!
The next Stoep Taste is set to take place on May 28-30, 2020.
