Page 15 - KZN Business Sense - KZN Chamber

A GOOD CUP OF COFFEE
The welcoming aroma of
roasting coffee beans
lingers in the air at
the Beaver Creek coffee farm.
Located at the seaside town of
Port Edward, Beaver Creek is
the most southern coffee estate pulp. Following this stage, the
in the world. Beaver Creek is a
family-owned business, with
three generations personally
involved in growing, harvesting beans are hulled and graded for
and roasting coffee.
Participating in the guided
tour of the coffee farm enhanced
our appreciation for the full
flavoured cups of coffee we later
enjoyed tasting. Producing a
good cup of coffee is clearly a
labour intensive process!
The farm started with four
coffee trees in 1984 and has now
grown to contain more than
60,000 trees, including Robusta
and Arabica varietals. From
seedling stage, the trees can
take up to five years to mature
to fully produce fruit. The coffee
cherries are handpicked from
the trees over several months
as the fruit does not all ripen
Hilton Arts Festival
Hilton College: 16, 17, 18 September 2016 The three day festival caters
KZN’s premier arts
festival: the 24th annual
Hilton Arts Festival
will once again be hosted in the
picturesque Hilton College from
16 – 18 September, 2016.
The festival invites the
crème-de-la-crème of what
is hot and happening in the
creative industries in South
Africa: theatre; dance; comedy; Ramos-Violante in a play about
musical theatre; family theatre; beauty, treachery and the high
classical music; music revue;
band-music; visual art and
crafts, as well as a series of
mind-scape lectures, events and is Dead, dubbed by the New York
discussions.
Falling Off the Horn: uses visual storytelling to shed light on experiences of xenophobia in of musings, scenes,
modern-day South Africa.
at one time. The bright red
cherries are crushed to obtain
the beans; each berry produces
two beans. The green beans are
then fermented and washed
with water to remove the fruit
beans are either sun-dried for
two weeks or dried indoors
under lights. Once dried, the
size prior to roasting. The time
spent in the roasting process is
pivotal to developing the various rounded off the day’s extreme
flavours available. Some of the
ground produce is then expertly
blended with imported and local
coffee beans to create Beaver
Creek’s signature coffees.
The tour concluded with an
indulgent tasting of a variety
of coffee drinks from single
espressos to cappuccinos, caffè
cremas, flat whites, doppios,
to café Americanos, amongst
others. These were produced
through a demonstration of
variety of percolation methods
from machine to the moka pot.
The enthusiastic Beaver Creeks
baristas also entertained us by
for everyone, young and old –
including a huge market, book
stalls and great food.
There are two flagship
productions this year: The
Grindrod Bank Flagship
production is Blonde Poison:
written by South African
playwright Gail Louw which
reunites brilliant actress Fiona
Ramsay and director, Janna
price of survival. The Independent unpacks a myriad topical themes.
Newspapers Flagship Production
is the timeless classic, Sizwe Banzi Violante and Emily Child star in
Times as “A joyous hymn to human potent dark-comedy. Dead Yellow
transforming our cappuccinos
into delightful works of art,
worthy of a quick photograph.
An excellent coffee fix was had
by all!
The cost for the tour includes
bottomless coffee afterwards,
which we enjoyed along with a
delicious meal from the Beaver
Creek café. The specialty of
the day – a coffee rubbed beef
burger – was very tasty and
coffee fix. We could not depart
without first purchasing some
of the Estate’s Reserve 100%
Pure Arabica Coffee L28 for
our continued enjoyment. The
packaged beans or ground
coffee estate reserve or blends
are also available for purchase
online.
The tour is held every day of
the week at 12pm and booking
is essential in holiday season.
Please call 039 3112 347 or email
info@beavercreek.co.za to book
your spot. n
www.beavercreek.co.za
nature” produced and expertly lit flashbacks, and interactions, a For lovers of orchestral music:
by Mannie Manim, directed by man’s past and family life are the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic
John Kani and starring Mncedisi uncovered. Orchestra will present two
Shabangu and Atwanda Kani. concerts – both conducted by
Other interesting features of maestro Richard Cock: Frank
Other dramas to look out for this year’s festival include satirist Sinatra and Friends featuring
are: Dallae Story is a non-verbal Pieter-Dirk Uys who brings soloist Nic Nicolaidis; and in
performance from Korea involving his brilliant one-man memoir chapel, members of the KZN
puppets, theatrical movement, Echo of a Noise to the festival, Phil will perform the charming
traditional dance and music, and there is a screening of the Peter and Wolf and other music
shadow theatre and projection. documentary about his life: for children under the age of 95.
Pay Back the Curry: Rob van Nobody’s Died Laughing followed Richard Cock will also present a
Vuuren directs multi-talented by a Q&A; Jemma Kahn brings very entertaining and anecdote-
Daniel Richards in a new Mike two productions for grown-ups, filled presentation, Conduct
van Graan wry comedy which both in the Japanese story telling Unbecoming, as part of the lecture
Kamishibai style: We Didn’t come series. The Pietermaritzburg City
Contractions: Janna Ramos- to Hell for the Croissants and In Orchestra will be performing al-
Bocca al Lupo; Pietermaritzburg fresco in a programme of several
this sharp, wily and resolutely- actors TQ Zondi and Mpilo well-known classical pieces.
Nzimande will both be in three
Sands is a return productions, and Rob van Vuuren The festival would not be
to minimalism: performs in a comedy, a family possible without: Hilton College;
an actor lit with show and directs the Mike van Independent Newspapers;
sophisticatedly Graan comedy. Grindrod Bank; Black Coffee;
simple lighting PWC; DWR; Assetej; KZN Dept.
speaking the stories There are three mini festivals of Arts & Culture; SAB Castle
he has lived. Written embedded in the main Lite; Bidvest Car Rental; Zultrans;
and performed programme: the Jongosi schools Marriott (for Music Revival);
by Graham Weir, programme taking place for one BASA; Loud Crowd; Indwe Risk
direction is by Bo day only: Friday 16 September Management and SAPPI.
Petersen and lighting for both senior primary and high
design by Darron school learners; Christopher For more info visit:
Araujo. Sillage is a Duigan’s Music Revival series www.hiltonfestival.co.za/ or
disquieting story of hosts a comprehensive concert like the Facebook page, Hilton Arts
domesticity between a programme in the school chapel Festival. n
mother and daughter with an underlying Beethoven
packing up their motif throughout the festival All enquiries on 033 383 0126 / 7 or
family home. The weekend; and Assetej hosts a festival@hiltoncollege.com.
Graveyard is a series programme of theatre for young Booking enquiries:
audiences. tickets@hiltoncollege.com
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