Chef Jean-Pierre Smith, who has been part of the Vrede en Lust restaurant team since its inception in 2013, is saying farewell to start a new and exciting chapter in the Bahamas. Taking JP’s place at the helm is Ed Saunders; a born and bred Londoner who fell in love with South Africa when visiting for a wedding in 2005. Kitted with his background as a tapas restaurateur in London, he decided that he needed to marry his small plates with his love for SA’s fine wines.

Tapas & South Africa’s Finest Wines

With Ed’s exuberance, Lust Bistro & Bakery will be able to use different types of tapas to showcase the delicate and unique characteristics of the Vrede en Lust wine range. Ed describes his special brand of tapas as “a whole meal in a mouthful” — each bite is an exciting explosion of flavour and texture.

There are many theories of how and why tapas originated.  Some say that thin slices of bread and/or meat were used to cover glasses of sherry to prevent fruit flies from getting into the patrons glass. Naturally, these guests would nibble on their glass covers (tapa means ‘to cover’) until they would need a new one. With the meat being highly salted for preservation back then, the guests would get thirsty and drink more. Tavern owners had accidentally found a great way to increase their alcohol sales and so this led to the development of small snacks called tapas. These days, tapas have become a global food trend — people love being able to try out many different flavours and textures in one meal and they are amazing when paired with wine!

What to Expect

The first tapas of many seasonal pairings includes:

• Seared Tuna paired with the flagship Barrique white blend
• Creamy Mushroom Pastry paired with the Kogelberg Chenin Blanc
• Spicy Moroccan Meatball paired with the Pinot Noir
• Hummus and Butternut Stack paired with the Casey’s Ridge Syrah
• Goat’s Cheese & Caramelised Onion Bite with the delicious Cabernet Franc

Pop in soon to the Tasting Room to enjoy the first wine and tapas pairing from the 1st of March 2022. Sip on some of South Africa’s finest wines and delight in Ed’s culinary creations while enjoying gorgeous views of the Vrede en Lust vineyards and mountainscape.

Visit the Crush Instagram page and stand a chance to win an Exclusive Vintage Wine Club membership for a year, worth R15 000!

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