ANGALA SUPPER CLUB.

Rediscover the joy of immersive dining encounters alongside SA’s talented chefs at Angala

“Introducing the Angala Supper Club Series – rediscover the joy of immersive dining encounters alongside SA’s talented chefs. Food is an incredibly intimate art form, the only art form that we ingest and becomes a physical part of us.”

An enchanting overnight dining experience that marries gastronomic joy and well being.

After the confines of Covid and never-ending lockdowns and restrictions, Angala Supper Club is food for the soul and provides much-needed serenity. Covid changed our dining encounters and bought private dining experiences into our homes, with some of our favourite chefs having to pivot to survive. Angala Supper Club celebrates a new freedom, in a safe and wholesome environment. They have welcomed these chefs into their home, which just so happens to be a 5* luxury wellness destination, partnered them with a local boutique wine or spirit producer and invited you, and like minded individuals, to join them around the table.

Welcome to Angala

Angala is a family-owned ‘barefoot luxury’ 5* sanctuary situated in the heart of the winelands, just outside Franschhoek. You drive through the gates of Vrede en Lust and continue up the long winding farm road, with vineyards on either side and looming majestic mountains enveloping you. At the point when you think you have missed a turning and are lost, you turn into a green oasis of tranquillity, and you immediately decompress. Angala has an aura of calmness, time slows down as you enter this instagramable haven.

It is imperative that you maximise your time at Angala to make use of their wellness and hydro facilities. Check-in and robe up; choose between a dip in their sparkling Eco Pool, Ozone pool or heated plunge pool, or reinvigorate your body and work up an appetite for the evening’s epicurean adventure in their infrared sauna and steam room. For your ultimate alleviation, book a treatment or individual yoga session with the hotel.

The ten bedrooms at Angala are dotted around the lush gardens, with their own deck and outdoor shower overlooking the surrounding mountains and Cape winelands.

Angala Supper Club

Eight amazing chefs, eight delicious local wine farms and distilleries, and one beautiful location.

The dates have been set, chefs booked, menus designed, winemakers and local spirits houses chosen; all that awaits is you…. There are eight opportunities for you to join and experience this interactive wellness and gastronomy journey between now and October. My husband and I were invited for an insight into what is to come at Angela’s Supper Club, and I can confirm you are in for a treat.

Our evening began with welcome drinks by the eco pool and greeted by the barefooted manager Aubrey who described Angala as barefoot luxury. The media dinner showcased three of the supper club’s chef partners; Nathalie Larsen from Earth to Plate, Lapo Magni from Lapo’s Kitchen and Julia Hattingh from Reverie Social Table, with pairings from Atlas Swift Wines, Leonista Spirits and Black Elephant Vintners.

The plant-based Starter was by Nathalie Larsen. Nathalie is a passionate foodie, classically trained plant-based chef and a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She believes that conscious cooking is a creative and intimate expression that has the power of strengthening our relationship to the natural world. Her personal plant-based journey inspires her to share her passion with others in hopes to create positive shifts in the way we think & feel about the future of food in the most delicious ways. I am by no means exaggerating when I claim that this was the most delicious vegan food I have ever encountered. If there was ever a dish that made me think I could change my eating habits to one more sustainable, then this would be it.

It was paired with Cape South Coast Chardonnay from Atlas Swift. Launched last year Atlas Swift is based in Franschhoek but celebrates Chardonnay from different terroirs across the Cape Winelands. Even though they are a new brand on the block, Martin and Welma Smith have a wealth of wine expertise between them. Martin Smith is his family’s third-generation winemaker. After completing his studies at the Elsenburg Agricultural College outside Stellenbosch, he moved abroad and worked in California for ten years, honing his skills in the production of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Upon his return, he was appointed as the winemaker for one of South Africa’s biggest luxury wine brands, Vilafonté, before starting Paserene Wines in Franschhoek, where he is still the co-owner and winemaker.

His wife, Welma’s studies were followed by a trip to another “holy grail” of winemaking, France, where she pursued her dreams of becoming a sommelier at the World Sommelier Academy of Bordeaux. Forever the student of wine, she is also currently enrolled for her WSET Diploma.

The Cape South Coast Chardonnay comes from the relatively unfamiliar yet acclaimed Vermaaklikheid in The Cape South Coast. The proximity to the ocean brings beautiful minerality and saltiness to the wine. Yes, I know these are two forbidden words in the world of wine critics. Still, sometimes these characteristics are just undeniable, so be it… the wine paired beautifully with the starter, enhancing the elements of the sea and the smokey flavour profile. Aesthetically, the label depicting a female warrior of the ocean was the perfect accomplice to the dish’s foraged local ingredients from land and sea.

The main course was the creation of Lapo Magni from Lapo’s Kitchen; seared Kudu loin tagliata with a grape and balsamic jus and served with the most delicious crisp domino of potatoes. It was uniquely paired with Coconut coriander ‘sgroppino’ with Leonista blanco; a smokiness from the spirit emulated in the kudu.

Lapo grew up learning the art of Tuscan cooking from his mother, a trained Italian chef, then moved to and fell in love with Cape Town, and is incredibly passionate about cooking seasonally and sustainably using only proudly South African produce.

Besides coming from cooking royalty, Lapo is also a talented chef in own right, having won Italy’s version of MasterChef in 2013 and worked in restaurants across Italy and in SA. However, he also loves sharing his belief in simple, honest food made with local, seasonal and ethically produced ingredients, such as those he grew up with.

Leonista blanco is a 100% Karoo Agave Spirit. Blanco – Meaning “white” in Spanish. It is an un-aged variant in the pride and is the closest adaptation to an authentic Mezcal characterised by the smooth but distinctly smokey flavour. Have a look at this video to find out more about this Mexican inspired African tequila

Julia Hattingh of Reverie Social club masterfully fabricated the chocolate, rhubarb and celeriac dessert. Chef Julia Hattingh earned her stripes at revered eateries like the award-winning Waterkloof Restaurant in Somerset West and Lucas Carton in Paris. She is currently the chef patron of Reverie Social Table – table d’hote style eatery located in the quirky neighbourhood of Observatory, Cape Town.

Drawing from her vast restaurant experience and international travels, Julia makes food that’s both hearty and unfussy, yet refreshingly contemporary and full-on in flavour. The excellent combination of flavours and textures was beautifully lifted by the Black Elephant Vintners Brut Rosé. 100% Pinot Noir from a single vineyard in Franschooek, the wine is vibrant and showcases the red fruit flavours emblematic of the cultivar which played harmoniously with the rhubarb, and the fine mousse enlivened the celeriac. A truely joyous pairing.

Kevin from Black Elephant Vintners added another exciting element to the night and ended the evening on a high when he bought his extraordinary, and almost rebellious music and wine pairing to the table. We were all handed headphones and were mesmerised by the music, wine and dessert pairing. Everything came together and transcended in a unanimous bubble of creativity. Black Elephant Vintners offer this unique experience on Saturdays at their winery in Franschhoek. Go and let go of conformity and revel in the fun and celebrate wine. Find out more and book here

It was an extrodinary night that captivated our senses and reawakened a joy that the pandemic had stolen. And the best part was walking to our rooms with a full belly and full heart, and falling asleep in our luxury accommodation rather than embark on a crusade getting you and your loved one home safely. A long uber drive tends to diminish the sparkle of a special evening…

THE DATES

6 May: Lapo Magni & Leonista Spirits
28 May: Julia Hattingh & Black Elephant Vintners
4 June: Arabella Parkinson & Longridge Wine Estate
17 June: Santi Louzan & Sugarbird Distillery
2 July: Luke Wonnacott & Spider Pig Wines
23 July: Aliya Ferguson & Arendsig Single Vineyard Wines
20 August: Adele Maartens & Lozarn Wines
17 September: Nathalie Larsen & Atlas Swift

STAY INFORMED

Book now for these exclusive and intimate events at www.angala.co.za, stay connected for all upcoming retreats, events and experiences by signing up to the Angala newsletter and join our online community at @angalasouthafrica.

Prices are from R3425 per person sharing for Deluxe Rooms and R4375 per person sharing for Luxury Rooms.

Stay connected on Instagram

Angala @angalasouthafrica

Nathalie Larsen @Earth_2 Plate

Lapos Kitchen @laposkitchen

Reverie @reveriecapetown

Atlas Swift Wines @atlasswift_wines

Leonista Spirits @leonistaspirit

Black Elephant Vintners @bevintners

Thank you for the images Expressions Photography