{"id":303909,"date":"2026-06-10T14:04:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:04:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/?p=303909"},"modified":"2026-06-10T14:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:31:08","slug":"the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"The Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A specially crafted mocktail inspired by arts and culture icon Marlene le Roux became the toast of the evening as Cape Town’s tourism, hospitality, business and creative sectors gathered for the soft launch of the Jetsetting with Janet Immersive Culinary Experience at the International Hotel School in Salt River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The launch marked the beginning of a strategic partnership between Jetsetting with Janet and the International Hotel School, bringing together culinary tourism, experiential learning and cultural exchange through an interactive dining experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hosted by travel and lifestyle curator Janet Pillai, the event brought together tourism, hospitality, business and creative industry leaders for an interactive dining experience where guests helped prepare their own meals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mocktail Steals the Spotlight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Marlene, is a signature non-alcoholic cocktail that was created in honour of Le Roux and featured rooibos and pomegranate, ingredients carefully selected for their flavour, wellness benefits and personal significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the guidance of International Hotel School students and staff, guests prepared elements of their supper, creating opportunities for conversation, and connection around food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Receiving her signature mocktail, Le Roux reflected on the significance of the gesture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As a polio survivor, there have been many moments in my life when I have had to fight to be seen beyond my disability,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Roux said being honoured with a signature mocktail was both \u201cunexpected and deeply meaningful\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat means even more to me is the thoughtfulness behind the gesture. The ingredients selected for The Marlene are not only delicious but considerate of my health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Marlene Mocktail stole the spotlight at Jetsetting with Janet Culinary launch. Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRooibos and pomegranate are both wonderful choices, and I feel incredibly honoured that something so personal was created in celebration of my journey.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Roux said the tribute was a powerful reminder of the importance of recognising and celebrating people’s contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Pillai, honouring Le Roux was a natural choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Marlene is a woman who has consistently transformed challenges into opportunities. Her resilience, leadership and commitment to uplifting others have made a profound impact on our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHonouring her was not only a celebration of her achievements, but a reminder that courage, authenticity and determination can change lives.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immersive Dining Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The evening also featured culinary demonstrations, networking opportunities, a wine presentation by Pieter Badenhorst and discussions on tourism, culture, heritage and collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pillai said the immersive culinary concept was designed to go beyond food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When people cook together, they naturally connect. They share stories, exchange ideas and build relationships. There is something incredibly powerful about creating a meal alongside someone you’ve just met.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the International Hotel School<\/a>, the partnership provides students with valuable real-world industry exposure while strengthening the link between education and hospitality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lynn Naidoo, Managing Executive of the International Hotel School, said: “Our students benefited enormously from being part of this initiative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They had the opportunity to engage directly with professionals from across tourism, hospitality, business and the arts while applying their skills in a real-world environment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALSO READ:<\/strong> Artscape marks 55 years with memory wall and call to support the arts<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An immersive culinary experience in Cape Town blended food, storytelling and connection, featuring The Marlene mocktail honouring Marlene le Roux.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":303921,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"73","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"60","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"3","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,1],"tags":[8263,7904,7909],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-303909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-news","tag-cape-town","tag-local-stories","tag-recommended"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion | People's Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Cape Town culinary experience launch honoured Marlene le Roux with The Marlene mocktail, blending rooibos, pomegranate, storytelling and connection.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Cape Town culinary experience launch honoured Marlene le Roux with The Marlene mocktail, blending rooibos, pomegranate, storytelling and connection.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"People's Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeoplesPostNewsPaper\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/lightspeedwpdev\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-10T12:04:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-10T12:31:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"770\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"People's Post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/x.com\/lightspeedwp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@thepeoplespost\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"People's Post\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"People's Post\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6340c23e28688a75b34001d35ecc9e86\"},\"headline\":\"The Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-10T12:04:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-10T12:31:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":526,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Cape Town\",\"Local Stories\",\"Recommended\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Lifestyle\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion | People's Post\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-10T12:04:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-10T12:31:08+00:00\",\"description\":\"A Cape Town culinary experience launch honoured Marlene le Roux with The Marlene mocktail, blending rooibos, pomegranate, storytelling and connection.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg\",\"width\":853,\"height\":770,\"caption\":\"Marlene le Roux pictured with Janet Pillai. Photo: Supplied\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"The Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/\",\"name\":\"People's Post\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Peoples Post\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/peoples-post-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/peoples-post-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Peoples Post\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PeoplesPostNewsPaper\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/thepeoplespost\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/peoplespostnewspaper\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@peoplespostnewsCPT\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6340c23e28688a75b34001d35ecc9e86\",\"name\":\"People's Post\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"People's Post\"},\"description\":\"Ash Shaw is the founder of LightSpeed, a WordPress design and development agency established in 2003. With over 20 years of experience, Ash is a seasoned business manager, web strategist, and product lead specializing in WordPress, WooCommerce, AI-driven workflows, and digital publishing solutions. A key figure in the WordPress community since 2007, Ash has played a significant role in organizing WordCamp events, developing open-source projects, and leading UX\\\/UI improvements in WordPress-based platforms. Ash is passionate about design systems, block-based themes, and bridging the gap between design and development.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/lightspeedwp.agency\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/facebook.com\\\/lightspeedwpdev\",\"https:\\\/\\\/instagram.com\\\/lightspeedwpdev\",\"https:\\\/\\\/linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/lightspeedwp\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/lightspeedwp\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@lightspeedwp\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/author\\\/lightspeedwp\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion | People's Post","description":"A Cape Town culinary experience launch honoured Marlene le Roux with The Marlene mocktail, blending rooibos, pomegranate, storytelling and connection.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion","og_description":"A Cape Town culinary experience launch honoured Marlene le Roux with The Marlene mocktail, blending rooibos, pomegranate, storytelling and connection.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/","og_site_name":"People's Post","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeoplesPostNewsPaper","article_author":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/lightspeedwpdev","article_published_time":"2026-06-10T12:04:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-10T12:31:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":853,"height":770,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"People's Post","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/x.com\/lightspeedwp","twitter_site":"@thepeoplespost","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"People's Post","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/"},"author":{"name":"People's Post","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#\/schema\/person\/6340c23e28688a75b34001d35ecc9e86"},"headline":"The Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion","datePublished":"2026-06-10T12:04:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-10T12:31:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/"},"wordCount":526,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg","keywords":["Cape Town","Local Stories","Recommended"],"articleSection":["Lifestyle","News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/","name":"The Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion | People's Post","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-10T12:04:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-10T12:31:08+00:00","description":"A Cape Town culinary experience launch honoured Marlene le Roux with The Marlene mocktail, blending rooibos, pomegranate, storytelling and connection.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg","width":853,"height":770,"caption":"Marlene le Roux pictured with Janet Pillai. Photo: Supplied"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/the-marlene-mocktail-raises-a-toast-to-resilience-and-inclusion\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The Marlene mocktail raises a toast to resilience and inclusion"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/","name":"People's Post","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#organization","name":"Peoples Post","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/peoples-post-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/peoples-post-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Peoples Post"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeoplesPostNewsPaper","https:\/\/x.com\/thepeoplespost","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/peoplespostnewspaper\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@peoplespostnewsCPT"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#\/schema\/person\/6340c23e28688a75b34001d35ecc9e86","name":"People's Post","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22f77b1f16f172fed7f2f12332d462994b31e3350e7b884a75c69a7df5808854?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"People's Post"},"description":"Ash Shaw is the founder of LightSpeed, a WordPress design and development agency established in 2003. With over 20 years of experience, Ash is a seasoned business manager, web strategist, and product lead specializing in WordPress, WooCommerce, AI-driven workflows, and digital publishing solutions. A key figure in the WordPress community since 2007, Ash has played a significant role in organizing WordCamp events, developing open-source projects, and leading UX\/UI improvements in WordPress-based platforms. Ash is passionate about design systems, block-based themes, and bridging the gap between design and development.","sameAs":["https:\/\/lightspeedwp.agency\/","https:\/\/facebook.com\/lightspeedwpdev","https:\/\/instagram.com\/lightspeedwpdev","https:\/\/linkedin.com\/company\/lightspeedwp","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/x.com\/lightspeedwp","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@lightspeedwp"],"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/author\/lightspeedwp\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Jkbcocktail-2-e1781093063991.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":270938,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/eastern-cape-tourism-awards-celebrate-industry-excellence-in-kouga\/","url_meta":{"origin":303909,"position":0},"title":"Eastern Cape Tourism Awards celebrate industry excellence in Kouga","author":"Shanti Jafta","date":"28 September 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Eastern Cape Tourism Awards celebrated industry excellence, honouring outstanding tourism professionals and venues, emphasising the sector's vital role in regional growth and community involvement.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The winners of the Tour Operator of the Year, Awehness Travel and Iconic Cultural & Heritage Experience, Tsitsikama Indigenous Tours.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3261.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3261.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3261.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3261.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3261.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3261.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66576,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/dr-jonathan-butler-headlines-launch-of-down-klipfontein-initiative-to-promote-tourism\/","url_meta":{"origin":303909,"position":1},"title":"Dr Jonathan Butler headlines launch of ‘Down Klipfontein’ initiative to promote tourism","author":"People's Post","date":"2 April 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Dr Jonathan Butler, recently awarded an honorary doctorate by Stellenbosch University, headlined the launch of a new initiative to promote tourism and its economic and social benefits in less-resourced communities on Saturday 29 March at Athlone High School.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/butler_63358.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/butler_63358.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/butler_63358.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/butler_63358.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/butler_63358.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":267727,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/cape-town-continues-reign-as-worlds-top-travel-destination\/","url_meta":{"origin":303909,"position":2},"title":"Cape Town continues reign as world\u2019s top travel destination","author":"Novus Media","date":"16 July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Cape Town has officially secured its position as the Best City in the World after winning the prestigious Telegraph Travel Awards 2025.","rel":"","context":"In "Lifestyle"","block_context":{"text":"Lifestyle","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/lifestyle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cape Town has officially secured its position as the Best City in the World after winning the prestigious Telegraph Travel Awards 2025.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cape-town-travel.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cape-town-travel.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cape-town-travel.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"People's Post","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303909"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303909\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":303922,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303909\/revisions\/303922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303909"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=303909"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=303909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}