South Africa, Western Cape, Paarl, 14 June 2023. THE Cape’s signature Grande Roche Hotel and Restaurant has launched Grande Afternoon Tea by Chef Kevin Grobler.

Situated in the historical Boland town of Paarl, the Grande Roche Hotel and Restaurant stands proudly as an icon in the Winelands region. Known for its stylish accommodation and sophisticated country dining, Chef Kevin has now launched Grande Afternoon Tea just in time for the few Cape winter months ahead.

As is widely known, the tradition of taking Afternoon Tea was introduced to English royalty and aristocracy by Anna Maria Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. By the 1880s, Afternoon Tea was all the rage throughout England with fashional ladies bedecked in long dresses, gloves and hats meeting at the most elegant of homes for clever conversation over tasty treats.

Chef Kevin now continues this tradition giving it a firm contemporary whisk with a generous dollop of South African hospitality. Guests commence the occasion with a flute of chilled sparkling wine or sparkling grape juice before being presented with the Grande Afternoon Tea selection that includes Cold Cut Bruschetta, Seed Loaf Toasty with Tomato Cream Cheese and Marinated Tomatoes with Basil Pesto, Smoked Salmon and Sticky Rice with Cucumber Rolls and Pickled Red Onion. For something a bit more filling there are also Grilled Onion Cups with Braised Beef Brisket and Mustard Seeds as well as Glazed Pork belly, Pickled Cucumber. The sweet treats include Lemon Meringue, Vanilla Custard Slice, Assorted Macaroons, Chocolate Cake and Peanut Cremeux as well as scones served with home-made jam, cheese and whipped cream. A selection of quality teas ranging from Black Tea & Blends (French Earl Grey or Royal Darjeeling) to Green Tea & Blends (Emperor Sencha or Silver Moon Tea) as well as Ceylon, Rooibos and Camomile complement the menu. And coffee is served too!

The Grande Afternoon Tea is available daily but with a 48-hour advance reservation notice and served from 10am to 5pm. It is priced at R445 per adult and R345 per child (under the age of 12) which includes a glass of sparkling wine or grape juice on arrival, a selection of teas and coffees, and the full Afternoon Tea menu.  The Grande Afternoon Tea experience is also ideal for persons seeking to celebrate a special occasion including bridal and baby showers as well as product launch events and corporate presentations.

“Afternoon Tea is all about celebration and taking life a little slower, if only for just a couple of hours in our modern era. At Grande Roche we’d like to believe that we’ve now reintroduced this culinary culture to the Cape Winelands and in true Grande style!” says Kevin.

For guests just wanting to pop in during the day to enjoy something lighter, Grande Roche Restaurant also offers freshly baked scones or homemade muffins served with delicious jams, cheese or whipped cream alongside a selection of quality teas and coffees at R150 per portion.

For booking enquiries, email restaurant@granderoche.co.za  or call +27 (21) 863 5100. Also enquire about Chef Kevin’s monthly Grande Roche Food & Wine Celebration Dinners.

The Grande Roche Hotel is located at 1 Plantasie Street, Paarl. www.granderoche.com

Follow the hotel’s journey via Facebook (GrandeRoche) and Instagram (Grande_Roche).

EDITOR’S NOTES:

THE HISTORY OF THE GRANDE ROCHE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT

The land on which Grande Roche Hotel is built was first granted to Hermanus Bosman on 6 June 1717. Bosman arrived in the Cape in the employ of the Dutch East India Company and landed in 1707 after a spell in the colonies of Batavia (modern-day Indonesia).

While working amongst the farmers of the Drakenstein winelands he stayed with the Huguenot Abraham de Villiers on his farm Lekkerwyn, today known as Boschendal. He ended up marrying De Villiers’ eldest daughter, Elizabeth, and together they settled on the land granted as ‘Nieuwe Plantatie’, with permission to farm cattle and wheat.

Bosman was an industrious farmer, and soon added vines, orchards and vegetable gardens to the property. When Bosman died on 14 August 1769 the farm passed to his eldest son, Abraham, and over the years more vineyards, a wine cellar and additional buildings were added to the property.

The farm would stay in the Bosman name for more than two centuries, only leaving the family in 1929. After a succession of owners the property was converted into a five-star hotel in 1992, and has since become an icon of winelands hospitality. The new custodians of Grande Roche, Hansie and Theresa Britz, acquired the illustrious property in 2019 and have injected new lustre and significant investment that secures this much admired luxury Cape winelands hotel as a preferred destination of choice.

For Press and media assistance contact Lise Manley of Manley Communications and ManleySocial at lise@publictiy.co.za  or call +27 (0) 82 828 5168.

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