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GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Rose Wright, organiser of the Stoep Tasting weekend gave the following feedback on last weekend's festival:•Glen Carlou Gala dinner, Thursday, 23 May - first class meal, fabulous team work between GC and Drostdy team, chefs collaborating well. 

Streamlined, splendid dinner and top service at Cold Stream Restaurant. Massive congratulations to all.

•Axe Hill Port, Cigar and Chocolate pairing Friday, 24 May - also a grand affair, people wanted us to repeat it again on Saturday night, they loved sitting in the cigar lounge at the Drostdy relaxing, learning and puffing away.

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•Master classes all went well and where well attended. (becoming very popular).

•Union Pre School Market. Those parents work themselves to the bone for the school to raise some money. It is a small group who sign up for this, their only benefit or reward is the knowledge that it is going into the coffers of their child’s school, for the greater good and for children still to come.

•Hospice and Parsonage Street homes committees, also small teams putting in huge efforts and long hours for the benefit of these 2 fabulous organisations.

•The hosts, who looked after the produces and “housed” them on their Stoeps, took care of their needs and ironed out any issues. For decorating and creating a nice street party vibe. People went to great lengths. If the hosts didn’t buy into it, this event would not be the success it is. Team work has no ‘I’ in it… The Graaff Reinet community is really working as a team for this.

•We had 100% local vendors.

•Graaff Reinet Club & Klub Libertas and all the effort the put in to creating such awesome venues.

•Background guys who slog away and nobody even notices them, ISU Rommel, provided every stoep with a drum, cleared them on Saturday morning and again after the event. SAPS, constantly patrolling the route ensuring that the visitors were safe and able to amble carefree in our streets in the dark. The Municipal clean-up crews who ensure clean streets every day.

•Special mention to our LTO (Graaff Reinet Tourism Office) again, fabulous team work, Jack Van Niekerk, Tim and Khanya putting in long hours, finding beds for people, solving and resolving any issues for the last few months and being stars with the ticket collection.

2019 was definitely the best Stoep Tasting to date, there have been so many compliments and kind words coming in. People loved it. The town benefits big time (To the tune of around R20-25m – excluding wine sales ) and even the perfect weather held out just long enough too…

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