Lunch at Horst Frehse's ‘table of friendship’ with Peter Finlayson at Twelve Apostles

We all met in the Conservatory for drinks pre lunch and watched the storm beat upon the windows

From the left Horst Frehse, Janie van der Spuy,  Peter Finlayson, Lungile Nhlanhla, Daryl Balfour

No. Lunch will not be on the terrace today... It’s ankle deep in rain water

Horst Frehse welcomes us all and tells us about the hotel and his Table of Friendship lunches

Horst introduces us to Michael McIntyre, the Head Chef

who was in charge of preparing this delicious lunch

Peter Finlayson, winemaker of Bouchard Finlayson wines in Hemel and Aarde valley

The amuse of cured salmon ceviche, salmon caviar and Mrs Bea Tollman’s secret sauce

First course was Lobster Risotto topped with a lobster tail served with either Bouchard Finlayson’s 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve or their Sans Barrique Chardonnay 2012. Both matched perfectly.

Horst tells us how he learned that Table of Friendship lunches had started at the Ritz Hotel in London in the early 20th Century and how he has carried on this tradition throughout his career as a hotel manager.

He then told us about the Bouchard Finlayson wines served with lunch

Gregory Mutambe, the Sommelier of Azure restaurant, suggests a wine with the current dish.

Greg’s decision to put the 2012 Galpin Peak into a decanter and to pour the 2000 straight from the bottle was absolutely the best way to showcase both wines. The 2000 would have died in a decanter and the 2012 needed a bit of space and time to breathe. All the wines and the Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Cap Classique bubbly were served in the correct glasses

Greg pours wine for Lungile Nhlanhla, the junior food editor of DRUM magazine

And for Janie van der Spuy, owner of FIVESTAR PR

The most impressive wine of the lunch, Bouchard Finlayson’s Tète de Cuvée Galpin Peak 2000 Pinot Noir. ..

...which went perfectly with the main course of a tender pink Chalmar Beef fillet with a gem squash purée, a courgette and asparagus salad, a rich beef jus and rocket crumbs

Dessert was a Passion Fruit cremeaux with tonka bean, pear gel, raspberries and almond dacquise

Irish coffee for one

And lemon in hot water for someone else

It is really good to see sommeliers teaching their staff about the wines served

Horst introduces us to his colleague Michael Nel

Lungile Nhlanhla, the junior food editor of DRUM magazine

Lungi saying goodbye to Horst

and to wildlife photographer Daryl Balfour. Note the lovely log fire in the background, most necessary on a very chilly day

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013