Giving Back in South Africa

Susan Huxter, the owner of Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek, Cape Winelands, South Africa, was in to visit us recently. There’s a lot going on in this Relais & Chateaux property, which is set just 45 minutes outside of Cape Town.

First of all, there’s a new Culinary Concierge menu that provides a number of unique experiences throughout the year with acclaimed Chef Margot Janse (pictured left). We’re thinking the Dessert Me program—which allows guests to spend the morning with the chef learning how to make pastries and tarts followed by wine pairing tips with lunch and, of course, dessert—sounds mighty fine, but there are plenty of other program options based on wine blending, bread baking and even an insider’s tour of Cape Town’s Neighborhoods Goods Market.

While all this sounds like a foodie fantasy, we say the best part of the culinary program is Mrs. Ndaba’s Fridays, through which guests team up with the hotel to bake nutritious muffins for 67 toddlers who attend a local program run by a 68-year-old woman who cares for the kids gratis so that their parents can go to work. After the baking, guests take the muffins and visit with the children...Now that’s an enriching experience.