Hot off the heels of a brand refresh, the much-loved FoodWineDesign Fair, now known as the Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair will be returning to the rooftop of Hyde Park Corner from 9 – 11 October.
Over the past six years the boutique lifestyle event, which was the first event to combine food, wine, and design, has managed to cement its position as an invaluable platform for the country’s top artisanal producers to showcase their work.
“The name change symbolises the transformations that have taken place within the Fair, and within the industries themselves over the past few years,” says Fair curator Roberta Thatcher. “While we've always celebrated the beautiful products our exhibitors bring to the rooftop, the focus has now shifted to understanding how those items came to be and recognising the passion, creativity and uniqueness that went into their production.”
In line with the brand refresh, Mia Widlake, co-owner of Studio19, has been selected as this year’s featured designer to give the Fair a fresh, breezy aesthetic inspired by on-trend palettes and materials. This year the Fair will introducetwo new sections on the rooftop. On the east side of the inspired design tent visitors have come to know at the Fair, there will be an open-air Bloody Mary lounge, and on the south corner, there'll be a festive beer garden.
On the food side, guests can look out for the return of the popularChefs in the City in the Sanlam Lounge. The special project, which was launched last year, will boast the talented Dario di Angeli of Cube Tasting Kitchen, Marthinus Ferreira of dw eleven-13 and Andrea Burgener of The Leopard.
Each of the chefs will take the stand for one day, preparing their signature dishes for visitors.The Fair is also excited to introduce the Garden Route experience as the second special project. Guests can look forward to the likes of Pret-a-Pot Ceramics, Mungo Textiles,Newstead Wines and others, who will be travelling from the Cape to showcase their wares.
Returning exhibitors include Richard Bosman, YSWARA, Goet, Dark Horse, Missibaba, Black Elephant Vintners and Dear Rae. Newcomers include the likes of Zana Products, 1701 Nougat, Port2Port Wines, Leafy Greens, Leg Studios, Trebene Scarves as well as Bunny and Clyde Children’s Furniture.
Robert Thompson, head of marketing and communications at Sanlam Investments, says: “It’s a pleasure to be part of an initiative that creates a direct relationship between artisans and the public. As Wealthsmiths™ we are always looking for new ways to support independent artists by investing in their potential, and as a result, assisting them in creating a future for their businesses.”
Pre-sale tickets are available online for R90 each, from 1 August 2015, or at the door for R110 (kids under 12 enter free). Please note there will be a free Park and Ride from Hyde Park High School.
For more information on the Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair go here .
Sanlam Handmade Contemporary Fair (Rooftop of Hyde Park Corner)
• Friday 9 October: 12h00 – 22h00
• Saturday 10 October: 10h00 – 21h00
• Sunday 11 October: 10h00 – 16h00
IOL, adapted from press release