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By Matthew Staff Johannesburg has been the base camp for OPEN Food’s expansion and diversification over the past decade, laying the groundwork for the catering and event management company’s growing international ambitions. OPEN Food is exploring new horizons, new sectors and new territories as it stays true to an entrepreneurial ethos which continues to keep the catering specialist ahead of the industry curve and market competition year after year. Founded in 1999, initially as a small catering company in Johannesburg tailored towards private events, the diversification and expansion of the group that has occurred ever since has been indicative of an ethos to never rest on its laurels and a commitment to ensuring the very best customisable offering to each and every client. At present, the service variety now comprises – on top of its original catering activities – a recently introduced retail arm and

Secret Eats is South Africa’s most exclusive underground dining experience – an elite society of fine diners, in search of haute cuisine and exquisite venues. The diners’ club teams up with SA’s most prolific chefs to provide an evening of fine drinks and dining, all in an undisclosed location, revealed only hours before the event. On the balmy evening of September 19th, 2015, OPEN Food hosted A Secret Eats evening with Tippie Enslin at their exclusive venue, 03 Desmond, in Kramerville, Johannesburg. The spring evening offered a light breeze and stunning sunset, seen from the sprawling deck of the venue. Built for design 03 Desmond is an urban function venue, built and designed with form and function in mind – with an unrivalled view of the Sandton skyline. The décor for Secret Eats, masterminded by OPEN Food’s event management team, was kept minimal and

This year, we’ve been bombarded with so many diet trends it’s hard to keep up – low carb, no carb, high fat, bone broth, fermented and whole foods. It’s tough to tell fork from knife amidst the sheer number and diversity of health movements. But the common denominator we’re excited about is a shift away from processed foods, towards fresh, organic produce. Superfoods, including goji berries, chia seeds and avocado, have had their time in the spotlight, with fermented foods, namely sauerkraut and kefir, gaining notoriety too. Proponents of high protein and stomach-healing diets have also put forward bone broths and gelatine as the cure for diet woes. Ancient grains, such as quinoa and Teff, were more prolific this year than ever before and hyperlocalism (only buying foods within a certain radius from where you live and eat) continued to gain

South African MCC is putting the fizz back in sparkling wine. Champagne has long been considered upmarket if it hails from one tiny corner of France, but local Methode Cap Classique is competing in the big leagues, with world-class bottles of the celebratory drink, each with its own unique terroir and nuance. OPEN has a long-standing partnership with Wildekrans Wine Estate and, after continuously winning awards for their MCC at various food and wine shows around the country, it’s clear they’re just one of many incredible MCC producers in South Africa. Often considered the lowly step-sister of ‘real’ champagne, MCC embodies the classic art of Cape winemaking and tradition of bottle-fermenting in the Cape region. It embodies the joie de vive of the region in which it’s made and deserves as much praise as its French counterpart. Easy sipping With the rise in popularity

This month, we started serving ‘real’ smoothies at seven OPEN Food sites. We’re looking to roll this out to as many of our locations as possible. But if you’re looking to stop by for a frozen yoghurt-filled, creamy fruit drink, you’re barking up the wrong cup. The truth is, we’ve lost the plot about what smoothies and juicing are all about. Travel overseas and order a smoothie from a reputable health restaurant – you’ll be served a delicious combination of vegetables, with a small amount of fruit (just a few pieces), nuts and some coconut water or almond milk to dilute it. South African restaurants are set on serving super-sized cups of blended frozen fruit, combined with frozen yoghurt – or worse, ice cream – and fruit juice. Another ‘healthy’ option is an equally gargantuan glass of orange, pineapple and apple juice.

If you’re reading this while sipping on an unsweetened Arabica blend from a pastel demitasse, you’re probably already a conscious coffee drinker. But in case you’re a bit behind on the bean-blend movement, we’re unpacking the beginnings of the conscious coffee movement and where it’s headed. As proponents of the movement profess, it’s less about seeking out incredible coffee and more about rejecting the bad. Responsible roasters The Fair Trade coffee movement was the forerunner for the conscious coffee drinker. As the world became more aware of the marginalisation of smaller coffee bean growers, fair trade became a popular global consumption trend – and consumers became more discerning about the origins of their coffee. Alternative trading methods suddenly allowed brewers and roasters to change their bean source in favour of smaller, more regional farmers. It also gave consumers peace of mind knowing they were