Friday 19 September marked a bittersweet milestone – the final restaurant evening for Curro Hermanus’s Grade 12 learners, and also the last one with their teacher Annamia Henn at the helm.

For 12 years, Annamia has poured her time, energy, and passion for the culinary arts into every learner she’s taught. She hasn’t just shared her knowledge, but inspired a love for creativity, precision, and excellence in the kitchen. Under her guidance, learners have discovered what it means to perform under pressure and to take pride in their craft.

At the end of this year, Annamia will be leaving to begin an exciting new chapter in the UK with her husband-to-be, Charl. We wish you the very best for the journey ahead.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, You Scream Ice Cream in Hermanus is worth a visit. Owned by Nicolette Gers, the shop offers a variety of sorbets, nougats, meringues and ice creams that include vegan and sugar-free options, ensuring that there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Nicolette grew up in Cape Town  and attended Granger Bay Hotel School after matriculating. She went on to refine her skills in a four-year pastry course at Westminster College in London, before returning home to join the Mount Nelson Hotel. She later trained budding chefs at ICA Chef School before joining Lindt, where she spent four years immersed in chocolate. 

They moved to Paarl for her husband’s work and Nicolette started a new chapter at De Villiers Chocolate, where she spent seven years as chocolatier, product manager, and product developer. There, she perfected her craft, creating new flavours, developing products, and experimenting with ice cream.

In January 2021, Nicolette and her family moved to Hermanus to open their own business selling homemade, artisanal ice cream. She knew and loved Hermanus from her childhood holidays, and was drawn here by its excellent schools and its proximity to Cape Town. And so, in April that year, You Scream Ice Cream was born.

From a custom-built kitchen next to her garage at home, Nicolette crafts every flavour herself, refusing to use premixes, powders, or syrups in her recipes. “I prefer working with fresh, local ingredients,” she says. “Even the mint in my mint-chocolate ice cream comes from my own garden.” The result is a selection of nine delicious ice cream flavours including Chocolate Brownie made with Belgian chocolate, Rum & Raisin with real rum, Coffee Swirl made with actual coffee grounds, Strawberry Cheesecake with fresh frozen strawberries and cream cheese, and whatever seasonal creation Nicolette feels inspired to make next.

Vegan, sugar-free, options are also on the menu. Vegan ice creams are created with nut milk, while sugar-free flavours are sweetened with erythritol. 

Nicolette also makes sorbet which come in four refreshing choices: Rooibos and granadilla, lemon, peach, and mango. 

Customers can taste before they buy, enjoy scoops of ice cream in crunchy sugar cones, order a milkshake or sorbet slushie, or take tubs home in 500ml and 1L sizes.

Nicolette’s creativity doesn’t stop at ice cream. She also makes nougat, meringues, cookies, and cakes for local cafés and shops such as Bakgat Bagels in Hermanus, and Agteros and Birkenhead Brewery in Stanford. She also collaborates with other small businesses, stocking items from Fletch & Co. and showcasing local artists’ work in her shop.

Running an artisanal ice cream business is a team effort. Nicolette is joined in the shop by the friendly Anelisa, while Anelisa’s mom Vuyo helps in the kitchen. Her children occasionally work shifts for pocket money, and never say no to taste-testing new flavours. 

While demand for her products is growing, Nicolette is determined to stay true to her vision: “I don’t want to mass produce. I want everything to stay personal, handcrafted, and full of flavour.”

You Scream Ice Cream is located at 1A Warrington Place, Harbour Road, Hermanus. For enquiries, call 082 050 7444.

The Generation Schools Hermanus girls' soccer team has enjoyed an undefeated season this year, competing against U14, U16 and U18 teams in various tournaments.

The team was started in February 2025 as a Women's Month initiative, and the girls have grown from strength-to-strength under the guidance of their innovative and dynamic coach, Milani. Through consistent effort, teamwork, and dedication, they have built a record to be proud of. 

For almost two decades, Fabio and Alta Lenci and their children Claudio and Carmen have brought an authentic taste of Italy to the Overberg through their two family-run establishments in Hermanus – Fabio’s Ristorante in St Peter’s Lane and Dal-Italia Italian Deli in Aberdeen Street. Combining generations of culinary tradition with a passion for authentic Italian flavours, the Lencis have created warm, welcoming spaces where every visit offers an Italian experience.

Fabio’s, which opened in 2007 in St Peter’s Lane, is accredited by the Italian Chamber of Commerce – 1 of just 25 in the country to carry Ospitalità Italiana certification. This guarantees that restaurants adhere to the highest standards of Italian cuisine and hospitality, safeguarding the authenticity of Italian food and wine culture worldwide.

Fabio was born in Lecco, Italy, and moved to Johannesburg with his family at the age of 3 in 1968 when his father got a job opportunity with a company contracted to build pylons for Eskom. His mother, a lover of food and hospitality, opened three restaurants in Johannesburg, where Fabio spent his youth learning the ropes of the trade. By the age of 12, he was making pasta, scrubbing dishes, and soaking up his mother’s traditional recipes and skills that he would one day pass on to his own children. 

After graduating high school, Fabio went on to train as a mechanical draftsman before joining the world of sales and marketing for 19 years. Along the way he met Alta, and before long, Claudio and Carmen were born.

His passion for food never left him, and in 2007 the Lenci family moved to Hermanus to fulfill Fabio’s dream of opening an authentic Italian restaurant.

While Claudio and Carmen attended Hermanus Primary School and later Hermanus High, they worked at the restaurant for pocket money, washing dishes and cleaning up. After school, Claudio left for Germany, learning the language and gaining international work experience, while Carmen pursued a degree in hospitality in Stellenbosch, becoming a qualified chef. Claudio returned to Hermanus to help manage Fabio’s, working front-of-house and in the kitchen. 

Fabio’s entrepreneurial spirit also led him to purchase Tosca, a Portuguese restaurant in Hermanus, which he ran until hard lockdown in 2020. With restaurants forced to close, Fabio altered Tosca into a deli, and was able to remain open as an essential service. Carmen returned from Stellenbosch to help run the business with Claudio and Fabio, and Tosca was rebranded to Dal-Italia (meaning ‘from Italy’) Italian Deli, which officially opened in 2021.

More than just a deli, Dal-Italia also serves breakfast and lunch daily, with an intimate evening dining experience on Fridays. 

Its shelves are stocked with an ever-changing selection of imported and local products – from fresh cheeses (including Stonehouse Cheese from Stanford, for which Dal-Italia is the official satellite in Hermanus) and cold meats sliced to order, to handmade pasta, frozen meals, sauces, and imported breads, biscuits, chocolates, wines, and spirits. At the heart of Dal-Italia is the family-run pasta factory, where customers can watch fresh pasta being made to supply both the deli and Fabio’s.

The Lenci family works closely together to manage every aspect of Dal-Italia and Fabio’s. Claudio, an entrepreneur in the making, is a passionate and inspired cook who specialises in pasta, pizza dough, and classic Italian desserts. Carmen oversees both of the restaurants’ kitchens and brings a flair for modern Italian-style cuisine. Fabio remains the guiding hand, proud to see his children carry on the family legacy. True to his traditional roots, he still prepares some of the restaurants’ signature dishes. And, of course, the business would not run smoothly without Alta, who manages the finances and administration.

Fabio jokes that he will “never be retired, just tired”, and his passion for his restaurants is clear. “I love coming to work. I look forward to it every day and would be here at 6am if I could,” he says with a smile. 

The Lenci's genuine hospitality, love for food, and ability to make everyone feel at home have become their signature. 

Fabio’s and Dal-Italia are both available for functions, from birthday parties and anniversaries to pasta-making team-building events. They also offer outside catering, and both are licensed to serve top-end Italian wines and spirits, from grappa and limoncello to Aperol, which Fabio’s was the first to introduce in Hermanus. Dal-Italia is also licensed to sell alcohol for off-site consumption. 

Fabio’s remains a traditional Italian restaurant where diners can enjoy lunch or dinner while listening to Italian music and soaking up the atmosphere of old Italy, while Dal-Italia offers a more contemporary menu but still with traditional and authentic Italian flavours. 

Whether you stop by for a quick espresso, browse the deli shelves, or spend the evening savouring a traditional Italian meal, one thing is certain: you will leave having experienced not just good food, but a bit of Italy in Hermanus.

Fabio’s Ristorante (028 313 0532) is open daily from 12:00 to 22:30. The kitchen closes at 21:30. Dal-Italia (028 313 0333) is open Monday to Thursday from 9:00 to 17:00, Fridays from 09:00 to 21:00 (for Deli-Dining), Saturdays from 10:00 to 15:00, and is closed on Sundays. Menus are available online at www.fabios.co.za and www.dal-italia.co.za, and both businesses can be found on Facebook and Instagram.

Whale Coast Mall will once again host Cupcakes 4 Kids with Cancer, a nationwide initiative that brings communities together to support cancer patients and raise awareness for cancer care. Proceeds and contributions go toward cancer support organisations.

Bakers who want to make a difference are invited to pledge their donations, bake their sweet creations, and deliver them to local coordinator, Amina Gierdien. 

The event takes place on the morning of 27 September 2025 and is always a highlight on the calendar. Bake a little hope and sprinkle a lot of goodness this National Cupcake Day!

To participate and contribute your cupcakes, please contact Amina at 082 373 4786.

By Mangala Gowri Viswanathan 

PhD Student, University of Pretoria MRI Whale Unit

The largest animal ever to exist on Earth, the blue whale, is not just a marvel of nature – it is a living treasure. The MRI Whale Unit’s research focuses specifically on the Antarctic blue whales, a critically endangered species whose population was heavily decimated due to centuries of industrial whaling. Understanding these gentle giants is not just a scientific pursuit, it is a conservation imperative. 

To do this work, we use underwater listening devices to record whale vocalisations. This technique is called Passive Acoustic Monitoring and turns their sounds into visual patterns called spectrograms. Each species and subspecies of whale has distinct vocalisations, and even regional populations can develop unique call types-almost like dialects. The sounds produced by whales are often referred to as ‘songs’. Blue whales produce low-frequency calls with incredible intensity that are inaudible to humans but can travel thousands of kilometres underwater. These are among the loudest and most far-reaching sounds made by any living creature. 

In the deep, dark ocean, sound is their lifeline. It helps them stay connected, navigate vast distances, and find food. Sound travels approximately 4.3 times faster in water than in air, due to water’s higher density and tighter molecular bonding. This efficiency allows whales to communicate across vast distances, even in the pitch-black depths.

With support from South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, the Whale Unit has collected acoustic data in the southeast Atlantic Ocean and Prince Edward Islands. This research explored how whale vocalisations, as an indicator of their presence, vary with seasons, time of day, and environmental conditions, and whether their call frequencies shift over time. 

One of the most striking findings was a gradual decline in the frequency of blue whale calls over time. We also observed short-term fluctuations that coincided with increased vessel traffic, suggesting that noise pollution may be interfering with whale communication. These disruptions could have consequences, so to make their home peaceful, we urgently need quieter shipping technologies, and global mitigation on offshore maritime noise.

Amid these concerns, one moment stood out while analysing spectrograms; we noticed something unusual – a unique call type slightly above the frequency of the Antarctic blue whale’s signature song. It was a voice we didn’t recognise, recorded for the first time in the Atlantic Ocean. A mystery whale – heard but never seen. Its enigmatic sounds have become reference points for future research, guiding visual surveys and tagging efforts. This elusive leviathan reminds us that even in an age of satellites and sonar, the ocean still guards secrets beyond our reach. 

The word ‘leviathan’, rooted in ancient mythology, once described a sea creature of immense power and mystery. Today, it evokes awe for the majestic whales that roam our planet’s oceans. Their calls are more than biological marvels, they are invitations to listen more closely, to explore more deeply, and to protect the extraordinary life that thrives beneath the surface. 

Each whale song reminds us that these majestic creatures are still out there surviving and waiting to be heard. Protecting them means protecting the balance of life in our oceans. Whether it’s supporting conservation efforts, reducing underwater noise, or simply learning more, each of us has a role to play.

The ocean’s future depends on how well we listen and how deeply we care. 

By Dr Hans Britz

Onrus Veterinary Clinic

One of the most difficult parts of my work as a veterinarian is helping families through the decision of humane euthanasia for their pets. I know how deep the bond is between you and your pet – they are family, confidants, and loyal companions. Saying goodbye is heartbreaking, but sometimes it is also the kindest gift we can give.

I am often asked, “How will I know when it’s time?” There is rarely a single, clear answer. Every pet and every family is different. What I encourage owners to consider is whether their pet still has more good days than bad. For dogs, pain or illness often shows as a reluctance to walk, difficulty getting up, loss of appetite, or no longer showing interest in favourite activities. Cats tend to hide their suffering and may stop grooming, avoid people, or spend more time hiding. 

Animals may not always show the obvious signs we usually associate with pain. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean they aren’t experiencing it. To guide families, we sometimes use quality-of-life scales that look at things like appetite, mobility, pain levels, and enjoyment of daily life. These tools don’t make the decision for you, but they do help bring clarity in an emotional situation. There is a saying in veterinary medicine: “Rather do it a month too early, than a day too late”. 

I want to acknowledge the heavy emotions that come with this decision. Many owners feel guilt, wondering if they are “giving up” too soon. Some worry they are being selfish. Please know that these feelings are completely normal.

But I gently remind families that keeping a pet alive despite obvious suffering is not kindness, it is prolonging their discomfort. Choosing euthanasia when the time is right is one of the most selfless and loving decisions you can make for your pet. Children, especially, need honest but gentle explanations. Saying “put to sleep” is common, but it’s also important to clarify that this is a final sleep, and one without pain. Grieving is natural, and it is okay for both children and adults to feel the depth of this loss.

People often assume that euthanasia becomes ‘easy’ for veterinarians, but I can assure you, it never does. I, too, feel the weight of these moments. We have cared for many of your pets for years, watching them grow from playful youngsters into treasured family members. Sharing in their final moments is an honour, but it is never routine. Our role is to make sure that the goodbye is as peaceful and dignified as possible for both the pet and the family. It is not about ending a life carelessly. It is about relieving suffering when no other options remain.

The process itself is very gentle, with pets usually receiving a sedative first so that they are calm and relaxed, often dozing peacefully in your arms. The final injection is painless, and within moments, they pass away quietly. Your pets do not feel fear in those final moments – only comfort and release. Many owners later tell me that, although the decision was agonising, they found comfort in knowing their pet did not suffer needlessly. 

I encourage you to remember your pet in ways that bring healing – whether it’s a paw print, a special photo, or planting a tree in their honour. Grief takes time, but with it comes deep gratitude for the years of love you shared.Euthanasia is never about giving up. It is about love, compassion, and respect for your pet’s dignity. If you are struggling with this decision, please speak openly with your veterinarian. We are here to guide you, to listen, and to walk this journey with you.

When the time comes, know that saying goodbye can be the greatest act of kindness you will ever give.