Creative and original restaurants key to UNESCO gastronomic success

Writer: Raphael da Silva.

Although the UNESCO gastronomy designation encompasses the range of activities from “farm-to-fork”, inevitably visitors are going to judge the region by the quality and creativity of their restaurants, says Darryl Earl David, Director of the Overstrand UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, whose vision sparked the idea to apply for the recognition.

“You can’t say that all restaurants will do a roaring trade because of this designation. What it does mean though is that your top restaurants will do better. The competition will be healthy,” says Darryl.

Anton Verhoogt, owner/head chef of Barefoot Cook and Fisherman’s Cottage restaurants in Hermanus agrees. “Look at the places in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. You can go into any restaurant and you know it is going to be good because the competition is just so intense. The same is going to happen in Hermanus. The top restaurants will do even better. The others will need to pull up their socks if they are going to survive, or they will be swept under the carpet.”

PHOTOS: Karen Winter

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