A trip around the Western Cape - from the fishing docks of Kalk Bay to the plains of the Karoo - has culminated in a culinary experience that celebrates local street food, childhood flavours, and Cape heritage.
Chef Marcus Gericke, known for his appreciation for local flavours, has unveiled Journey, a nine-course menu, aimed to showcase foods in the Western Cape as the natives know it, putting the province back onto the map - and on the menu.
The menu consists of lamb chops from the Karoo, a play on pickled fish, crayfish, homemade brown bread, lamb, and oxtail. Sides include fynbos atchar, tomato bredie and homemade jam, with sweet treats such as milk tart, sago pudding, malva pudding and hertzoggies - a traditional tartlet made with jam and coconut.
Mr Gerieke and his team travelled 1 627 km across the province, from Kalk Bay to the Karoo, along the Garden Route, and back to Bo-Kaap, meeting farmers, butchers, and home cooks, uncovering the traditions of these towns.
Along the way, the team discovered gems such as the recipe of the oldest brown bread from Stellenbosch, snoek from the fishing village of Kalk Bay, and Karoo lamb, which, according to the chef, should be showcased more.
“It’s like champagne to France - we should shout about it more. Pickled fish, I feel, is honestly the most underrated food in South Africa. it is underrated.”
Back in Bo-Kaap, milk tart, malva pudding, and hertzoggies inspired the desserts, with aromas that remind him of his childhood, he said.
Mr Gerieke was born in East London and grew up helping his late father, who was training students to be chefs at the time.
“I was with him all the time in the chef school, actually learning how to cook, being with the students. “You’d find me on the weekends helping them out with functions… I probably started taking it seriously at the age of 7.”
In 2005, his father opened his own chef school - The Food and Beverage Institute, which is now run by another group after his father died in 2015.
He said a highlight of his career was helping to cater for the opening and closing ceremonies in Johannesburg, and the football matches in between.
Mr Gerieke then travelled for a few years, working in America and Italy, and then returned to work in Johannesburg in 2016 for five years.
“That’s when we wanted to do something similar to Journey - then COVID happened, and everyone got retrenched - it was a very sad moment.
He said he moved to the Western Cape to “restart”. "The owners of Urchin approached me to do something special, and that's how this concept started.”
“ I thought, ‘I have this amazing opportunity to tell the story of our fishermen, our farmers, our butchers, everybody that helps us create this journey.”
He said the team then mapped out the trip, which took three days to complete, and then the hard part was putting it all together.
Asked if the dishes were part of his childhood, he said the coconut ice was in the house all the time as it was he’s mom’s favourite, and the milk tart, also on the menu, was a favourite.
“Locals always tell us the foods and aromas remind me of my grandmother...and if I can remind you of a happy memory, or bring you back to that, then you will really love this.
He said there was no more perfect space close to the city centre and close to the heritage space of Bo-Kaap, for locals and tourists alike to experience the flavours and tastes of the Western Cape.