Neighbourhood News Update: 09 September 2022

In the month of August, every year since 2019, the FOOD XX Awards, an initiative by Studio H, a culinary-minded experience design and brand consulting studio and lead food experience curator at Makers Landing, honour a group of women from across the country, celebrating their achievements in the various spheres of the food and hospitality industry, from the farms to kitchens, media and more.

The winners of the 2022 FOOD XX Awards, in partnership with Spekko Rice and the V&A Waterfront, were announced during a special breakfast event on Tuesday 30 August at Makers Landing, a food hub that nurtures small business food entrepreneurs and showcases their culinary skills to the public. The celebration was an intimate gathering of women in the food business and a much-needed physical interaction, following the previous year’s event which was held online due to Covid-19.

A total of 19 changemakers were honoured in the farming to food styling, education, culinary heritage industries and more. All candidates were selected through an online public nomination process and once all nominations were received, the 2022 FOOD XX Awards panel of judges voted for nominees. The panel, as is always the case with the FOOD XX Awards, is comprised of the previous year’s winners, who are charged with passing on the titles.

“Once again, we were blown away by the sheer volume of nominations received,” says Hannerie Visser, director and founder of Studio H. “It really reinforced our belief that women are the backbone of the food and hospitality industry. And now, more than ever, we need to take the time to recognise and honour their work.”

For the full list of the 2022 winners by category, click here.

Our neighbourhood is known for its wide selection of eateries and this summer we’re excited and looking forward to our visitors sampling some of the new additions to our neighbourhood. The restaurants are scheduled to open between mid-September – late October.

Belthazar returns to the V&A 

Celebrated for the largest wine offering in the world, popular steakhouse restaurant Belthazar is set to return to the V&A Waterfront in November 2022 after shutting its doors in 2020 due to Covid-19. The restaurant will be situated next to its sister restaurant, Gibsons, facing the working harbour of the Victoria Basin.

The restaurant returns with an exciting new menu combining its popular dishes with more affordable lunch options for the budget-conscious eater. “Good news is that Belthazar will be launching its value al fresco lunch menu 7 days a week. Not only will there be affordable value meals such as charcuterie, cheese boards, burgers, and steak and seafood offerings but also wine tastings so that nobody is left out of tasting our array of award-winning wines. For those that want to indulge in something more substantial, our standard menu will be available.” Says co-owner Ian Halfon.

• Tigers Milk – Neighbour to the Spur with a beautiful outdoor deck area overlooking the harbour
• Tang –Next to Victoria Wharf entrance 2. as you enter the glass terraces next to the Victoria Wharf flagpole entrance
• Now Now – You’ll find them just further into the mall after passing the food court area, nestled between the kiddies stores.
• Mythos – Just across the Mugg and Bean restaurant
• Paul – If the aroma of baked goods does not get you first then you’ll find Paul’s Bakery just below McDonald’s, in the old San Marco restaurant space near entrance 2.
• Beluga – The new restaurant will be based in the Cape Town Cruise Terminal with views of the harbour
• The Raj – Situated next to Tiger’s Milk at entrance 5

The Rugby Sevens are here, catch all the game action in our neighbourhood at the Amphitheatre, visitors can also look forward to a moment of fame during our live fan cam on the big screen. We’ll also be giving away free SA flags to lucky visitors throughout the weekend.

Make sure to come dressed in your green and gold to match our buskers and be a part of the tournament celebrations. The games will also be showcased at the following restaurants.

Other events taking place on the precinct.

• Growthpoint SA Nationals – until 11 September: Centre Court (outside H&M)
• Fridays with 4IAM girl band – 09 September: Amphitheatre
• Queen College Boys Primary School marimba band – 14 September: Amphitheatre
• Sasol Solar Challenge – 16 September: Jetty 2 (outside The Table Bay Hotel)

August has continued a steady trend following the rise in visitor numbers from the July school holiday period. We are seeing great evening trade and feet within Victoria Wharf, thanks to the reopening of the Ster-Kinekor cinemas, we anticipate that this will continue as we approach the warmer months and the festive period. In addition, international visitor numbers continue to recover each month.

When comparing against the last “normal” year in 2019, we showed between 71% to 83% recovery rates across the neighbourhood. The rolling 12-month figure continues to improve month by month.