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The word “tavern” in SA often has negative connotations.
When South Africans hear the word “tavern” they think of a place where alcoholic beverages are sold to be drunk, in excess. They often think “binge drinking” and, now more than ever, after the Enyobeni tavern disaster in 2022, taverns aren’t often seen in a particularly positive light.
However, there seems to be a movement across SA to transform the perception and experience we have of local taverns.
There is a growing trend of selling food in taverns, probably sparked by Covid-19 and the various bans on selling of alcohol. And it seems liquor producers are the ones supporting this trend.
According to Distell, Africa’s leading producer and marketer of spirits, fine wines, ciders and other drinks, more than 5,000 of their customers (tavern owners) now sell food..
This after Distell implemented a two-fold programme, starting in 2022 and culminating in the Mzansi Tavern Chef cook-off which recently saw 15 chefs from taverns across the Eastern Cape compete in a cooking competition at the Blue Ribbon Culinary School in East London.
“Our journey started in lockdown when we saw how many of our customers’ livelihoods were not supported,” said general manager for sales at Distell, Clarence Sibiya.
He said a Distell study done during the Covid-19 lockdown found that more than 50% of the 148,000 taverns operating in SA made less than R6,000 a week.
“We found that 80% of these traders only sold alcohol. They are often seen as the drivers of people abusing alcohol. In the tavern space there is often no activity other than drinking alcohol.
“To help customers diversify their businesses and work to address and reduce the misuse of alcohol, we embarked on this project of encouraging serving food in taverns. It has been very well received; before starting the project, only about 1,400 of our customers offered food in their taverns.”
Serving food in taverns has the dual benefit of helping moderate consumption and promoting a responsible, more sociable atmosphere, while also creating an additional revenue stream for the outlet, he said.
The project was initiated by Distell sales reps who visited tavern owners and encouraged them to serve food through customer reward programmes.
In February , the first Mzansi Tavern Chef cook-off, sponsored by Distell, Nederburg and the National Liquor Traders, kicked off in the Western Cape.
Distell head of corporate affairs Southern Africa, Jolene Henn, said the competition built on the company’s food-serving campaign through its bansela customer rewards programme, in which tavern owners are rewarded with prizes and incentives for serving food and water, as well as complying with liquor licence trading principles.
“Our aim with this competition is to amplify the message to drink responsibly and in moderation,” she said.
The provincial legs of the competition see tavern chefs who offer food in their establishments compete for the title of regional Mzansi tavern chef champion and a R30,000 prize towards their businesses.
Each chef is given one hour to make their selected dish and an opportunity to explain their meal choice and the story behind their establishments to three judges; expert master chefs Benny Masekwameng and Pete Goffe-Wood, and Drinks Federation of SA chair Monhla Hlahla.
Set to take place in KZN this month and in Gauteng in May, the competition will culminate in the finals where the four regional winners will battle it out for the overall title and R100,000 prize towards the refurbishment or improvement of their tavern.
As sweet, spicy and decadent aromas wafted through the Blue Ribbon Culinary School’s gardens, the Eastern Cape leg of the competition saw budding chefs work hard to offer impressive dishes.
Nerves, smiles, laughs and relief were plastered on many faces — each with their own story to tell.
Sisanda Funcuza of Smarts Tavern in Komani said the event was stressful, but ultimately exciting.
“It’s my first cooking competition and I’ve only been cooking at the tavern for about six months. I made pork rashers with veggies and salad for the judges. This project has really helped. Our tavern wasn’t doing so well but now we serve food too,” said Funcuza, whose beautifully presented meal earned her a special mention from the judges.
Lille Matyila of Gwebindlala Tavern in Ginsberg, Qonce, served a hearty traditional meal of uLusu and though his meal was not the winning dish, he too received a special mention.
“It was lots of pressure but I’m excited to learn more, even though I didn’t win. I've met some of the greatest chefs. My mom taught me how to cook and she is no more so this is for her too. I cook uLusu and dumplings at my tavern because it is what my customers like. It’s warm and it lines your stomach and there’s lots of sauce to dip the dumplings in,” said Matyila.
Sixty-year-old Mandisi Dlokolo from M&N Place in Motherwell, Gqeberha, walked away with the Eastern Cape title and prize after impressing judges with his signature “Monday chicken” dish.
“I’m so happy, I’m shaking. I’ve never done something like this, and to be the winner ... Distell has done a big thing for me,” said an excited and overwhelmed Dlokolo.
Dlokolo, who started as a maintenance worker in a Gqeberha hotel, has been cooking the dish for many years and serving it for free every Monday to loyal patrons who visit his tavern.
He said patrons loved it so much that they would come on other days to enjoy it so he decided to add it to his offerings.
“This dish is very special to me and I love cooking!,” said Dlokolo who learnt how to cook by visiting the hotel’s kitchen and helping out..
Goffe-Wood said Dlokolo’s meal was cooked to perfection.
“Throughout this competition we’re looking at the process, looking for food that’s made properly. It’s the only way to really level the playing fields.
“The “Monday chicken” was so well cooked. It was intact but still juicy, the spices were well balanced, the chilli was understated, carrots cooked perfectly. The simpler stuff is often the most difficult to get right and to get that perfect you have to know what you’re doing. He [Dlokolo] definitely knew what he was doing,” said Goffe-Wood.
He said the initiative by Distell had the potential to help many businesses and change taverns for the better.
“It’s often always about the alcohol, but here we are putting the spotlight on the people who work in the background. I was really blown away by the standard of food, both in Cape Town and here in the Eastern Cape. It’s always a pleasure to do this; to see and taste other people’s foods,” said Goffe-Wood.
Masekwameng agreed and said the project was also about cultivating an appreciation of South African flavours and helping local businesses become profitable.
“There’s an incredible opportunity here to build the community. Once you start serving food, people with an interest in cooking become involved in the business. It helps job creation and also makes way for taverns to be more than places where excessive and binge drinking occur.
“This initiative is a way for us to be part of the solution and do something at a community level to address alcohol abuse in a positive manner.”
While winning was on most contestants’ minds, the initiative was about more than just one winner.
“We’re looking for winners, for creativity, how the food is designed for the clientele that visit each establishment, affordability and taste, but we are also here to share tips on how these tavern chefs can elevate their food offerings and become profitable,” said Goffe-Wood.
Hlala believes the initiative offers a unique opportunity to use taverns as a platform to change our relationship with alcohol.
“As South Africans we drink to get drunk. Our relationship with alcohol is not a positive one. Maybe this initiative will help us feel that it’s OK to have a bottle of water and a glass of beer with some food in between.
“It offers a great opportunity to journey and to learn together on how we can change our relationship with alcohol. Maybe the next generation won’t see so much alcohol abuse.
“It sounds small but the change it can bring and conversations it can start among tavern chefs and owners can have an incredible effect,” said Hlala.
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