Sublimely Local

Local-Lish-Us hosted their second seasonal lunch yesterday, and what a follow on event it was!  

The crowd grew from 80 to nearly 130, the noise level rose accordingly (Poor Kate - brandishing her arm cast in an attempt to be heard, it was touch and go as to whose head it would fall upon!)

Eager beavers started arriving an hour before the advertised starting time, and earlier than expected we began manning the welcome desk and checking guests in.  Hilton, with impish glee, appointed himself the pourer of welcome drinks, filling glasses and extolling the virtues of the delicious locally brewed ginger beer and assorted Rottcher Winery flavoured wines.  We are very lucky to have local booze producers, how would White River function on Sabie Valley coffee alone?!

As usual, many laughs were had as the team, under Tamar's expert guidance, trimmed ivy leaves into hearts, laid the tables and scattered assorted leaves amongst the place settings.  Interesting herbs were pushed into old gin bottles (what sort of person collects old gin bottles?  and why does K.., er, she, have so many empty gin bottles?  hmmmm!)  

Proving himself man enough to keep up with the girlz, Hilton got comfy on the tiles and cut leaves with the best of us, then was exceedingly useful setting up the drinks and being the bar's first customer. Viv, claiming zero creativity, proved otherwise by painstakingly arranging leaves about the place.

And then they poured in, astonishingly punctual, so that by 1 o'clock we'd corralled the guests into the extended dining room and verandas, and the serving crew could begin the task of serving up the baby marrow quiche.

The concept of place, rather than table, booking, and seating people at long tables as they arrive, has taken off in a big way.  Perhaps many of the guests are missing their boarding school years, but rubbing shoulders and chatting away to strangers, who soon become interesting people whose details are entered into the assortment of iPhones, Samsungs and the reducing number of Blackberries (very out, I'm told) appears to come easily to space conscious South Africans, all of whom seem very glad to extend their circle to new acquaintances.

Bee Eaters lived up to expectations - a beautiful venue, with something for everyone.  Guests slurped up the food and cleared out the buffet, and sharp eyed arrivals noted the many European Bee Eaters lining the fence alongside the entrance.

A tribe of young 'uns ranging from 8 weeks (had Filo in full Gogo mode, and many others drooling) to 15 picnicked, ran riot, jumped to distraction on the jumping castle, and eventually discovered the stream and dam.  Thankfully, the scorching weather held and the kids splashed to their hearts content.

Competing with baby Isla was the 8 week old Beagle pup.  The women were pretty evenly divided on whether it was a new puppy or baby they hankered for.  None wanted both! 

It was an astonishingly broad  selection of tasty food; spinach and trout pie being my favourite, but the free range lamb looked juicy and tender, the oven roasted organic veges went down well, and by the time I'd got to the mango dessert, and macademia brittle icecream, not much was left!  

Which was a good thing, as no tummy room remained for the range of local cheeses and preserves.  An aromatic cup of local coffee completed a long, leisurely paced meal and it was with heavy eyes my feet moved my groaning body down the steps and into the car, beginning the drive home.

Quite how we'll come up with a third event to top the two we've already had, I don't know.  But the creative and energetic Local-Lish-Us team will undoubtedly pull another (local, and seasonal) bunny out of the (local) straw sunhat.