This September, you can experience "Life after Fire," the Gold award-winning and Best in Show botanical design by Leon Kluge, which originally wowed crowds at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026. Brought to you by Chelsea Flowers in Stanford, the display celebrates Cape fynbos and how fire drives renewal and new life in the region. Leon and his team are recreating the masterpiece in Stanford from 12 to 27 September, which will be open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.

Tickets give you all-day access, the venue is fully wheelchair and mobility device accessible, and kids under 12 get in free. All profits go to supporting the Grootbos Foundation. Just a heads-up – dogs, food, and outside drinks aren't allowed. Head over to www.grootbosfoundation.org for all the details.

On another local exciting note, the Mammal Research Institute of South Africa is inviting you to turn your love for the ocean into action with their Adopt-a-Whale programme, bringing you closer to the science that protects these incredible animals. Adopting a whale helps keep Hermanus’s giants thriving and shares their story for generations to come. Your support funds vital conservation research while giving you regular updates from the Whale Unit and personalised reports on your adopted whale.

Members also get exclusive access to a real-time WhatsApp community with live field updates and behind-the-scenes insights, plus an official tax certificate. Check out the whales waiting for adoption at www.mammalresearchinstitute.science/adopt-a-whale

Happy reading,

Taylum

Since 1896, the Windsor Hotel has watched Hermanus grow from a quiet seaside retreat into one of the Whale Coast's best-known destinations. From its position above Walker Bay, it has seen generations of visitors arrive and leave, businesses come and go, and the town evolve around it.

Originally a sanatorium, it was built by stonemason Benjamin Rainsford for Dr Joshua Hoffman and his brother, William. The building offered patients from near and far the chance to recuperate in Hermanus’ famous “champagne air”.

In 1931, David Allenzensky bought the property with plans to turn it into a hotel. He added a west wing, dining room, kitchen and 50 bedrooms. Following a trip to England, he renamed the sanatorium the Windsor Hotel.

Over the following decades, the hotel became an important part of Hermanus’ social life, changing hands from David Allen to Alex Luyt, followed by Phil and Bill Record, and then Humberto and Telentina Cordosa.

In 1980, architect Basil Clark-Brown and his wife, Eve, bought the Windsor. Their aim was to restore the historic building while creating a hotel suited to a new generation. Basil was famously hands-on, involving himself in almost every aspect of the transformation. The tiny original rooms were reconfigured, with 15 bedrooms becoming five spacious en-suite rooms. The east wing was added as a three-storey lodge, bringing another 54 units, many with sea and mountain views. The entrance was also moved from Main Road to Marine Drive, putting the ocean firmly at the heart of the Windsor experience.

The hotel was run with a full-service kitchen, while pub lunches and traditional Sunday lunches were available to guests and the public, making the Windsor as much a part of local life as a place to stay.

Basil’s son, Garth Clark-Brown, bought the hotel from his father in 1996 and has now been at the helm for three decades – the longest ownership in the hotel’s history. Garth has continued to improve the hotel while taking care not to lose its character. Old photographs, antiques and reminders of generations past are woven throughout the hotel, with the old and new sitting comfortably alongside one another.

The hotel’s full-service restaurant is no longer part of the offering. As Hermanus’ restaurant scene has grown, Garth chose instead to encourage guests to explore the many restaurants on the Windsor’s doorstep – a fitting choice for a hotel that has always aimed to be part of the town rather than separate from it.

In 2005, Garth bought the Main Road premises formerly occupied by the Boland/BOE Bank, converting it into an office block with 10 additional courtyard bedrooms. Between 2017 and 2019, another major renovation took place across the bedrooms, reception, breakfast room, lounges, annexures and self-catering apartments. The courtyard and conference room received a soft refurbishment in 2024.

Garth’s philosophy has always been to modernise where necessary, but preserve the hotel’s history. That character can be felt throughout the Windsor, but perhaps the most important part of its story cannot be found in its architecture, it is in the people.

Several members of the Windsor team have been there for decades. Thelma Dzanga has been part of the hotel for 26 years, Nollie Cekiso for 25, Beauty Mpondombini for 22, Connie Ntabeni for 20, Wendy Kwani for 22, David Bhula for 18 years, and Victoria Dyasopi for 33 years. Victoria is the second generation in her family to work at the Windsor, as is Malicia Pato, who has been there for six years. Many more staff members have been with the hotel for more than 10 years. It is a kind of loyalty that is increasingly rare.

Traditional, personal service remains central to the Windsor. Staff are encouraged to go the extra mile, anticipate what guests need and put their comfort first. The result is hospitality that feels familiar and attentive rather than formal.

That same sense of familiarity is reflected in the guests who return year after year. One woman has been visiting the Windsor almost annually for around 80 years – a remarkable connection that speaks to the memories created over generations.

Inside the Windsor, the Glasshouse Lounge next to the reception area looks out over the sea, while a sea-front lounge upstairs is made for settling into a chair with a book and listening to the waves. There is also a conference room, billiards room, a cosy courtyard lounge with a fireplace, and a bar serving drinks and light snacks.

Breakfast remains one of the Windsor’s great traditions, with a full English and Continental buffet served each morning. Homemade treats, including their much-loved crunchies, add another distinctly homely touch to each room.

For Garth, preserving the hotel is more than looking after an old building. It is about keeping alive a place where people feel welcome, where they are looked after, and where they want to return year after year.

Visit www.windsorhotel.co.za for more information. 

A quirky new addition has arrived at The Station Bistro in Hermanus. Chef Mikey Jonker has partnered with owner and chef Simon Watt-Pringle, bringing with him a wealth of experience, imagination, and a fresh perspective that is set to add a playful new dimension to the already much-loved eatery.

For Mikey, cooking has always been a form of art: a way to explore new ideas, experiment with different techniques and push creative boundaries. From thoughtful plating and carefully curated flavours to the restaurant’s décor and overall atmosphere, his vision extends far beyond the kitchen.

Mikey began cooking at the age of 15, inspired by a family who shared his love of being in the kitchen. Although he was equally drawn to art, he eventually chose to pursue a career in the culinary world, where cheffing became his creative outlet.

Mikey’s career began at La Motte Wine Estate before he joined Foliage in Franschhoek. This is where he met his first real mentor, Chef Chris Erasmus. Mikey worked his way up to head chef, embracing Foliage’s hyper-local approach and its focus on ingredients sourced from the surrounding area. 

Working alongside Chris also shaped Mikey’s understanding of the role restaurants can play in their communities. “Whenever someone needed help in Franschhoek, Chris was the first to volunteer,” says Mikey. “Restaurants and chefs have the unique opportunity to do good in their communities.”

After leaving Foliage, Mikey had the opportunity to work alongside Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen at JAN The Journal, an experience that exposed him to an incredibly creative approach to food. He later worked with Life & Brand’s restaurants before joining Chef’s Warehouse in Cape Town. His career eventually took him to the Maldives, where he worked for Planhotel Hospitality Group alongside Michelin-starred chefs. He was then headhunted by a business in Germany, opening the door to another international chapter. 

Earlier this year, after spending some time in Germany, Mikey reached out to Simon, sharing that he was ready to return to South Africa. Simon was preparing to leave Hermanus to take over a restaurant in KwaZulu-Natal and invited Mikey to join him as a partner at The Station Bistro. The two had become friends after crossing paths several times throughout their careers in Franschhoek and Cape Town, so bringing Mikey on board felt like a natural fit.

Since taking over at The Station, Mikey has introduced plenty of new ideas and experiences, while also giving the space itself a colourful refresh. Walls have been given new life and the tables have been stripped back to reveal the layers of paint from previous restaurants that once occupied the building. The brighter colours are intentional, while softer lighting and colourful shades aim to create a warmer and more romantic atmosphere.

Mikey has also brought back intimate long-table dinners and introduced ‘Urban Sketchers’ to the eatery, giving participants the chance to sit, relax, draw, and paint under the guidance of local artist Danny Myburgh. 

The Station Bistro will also soon be introducing homemade sodas, kombucha, and syrups with the help of Christine Stevens, author of The Harvest book series. The aim is to become more intentional about ingredients and to incorporate more natural foods into the offering, and there are plenty more ideas in the pipeline. Working closely with social media manager Simone Hiebner, Mikey is able to bring many of these weird and wonderful ideas to life, creating experiences that extend beyond the traditional restaurant offering.

Art will also take centre stage at The Station this December, when the restaurant will feature work from three South African artists in an exhibition called ‘Not Square’. The exhibition will explore organic shapes through a playful mix of wood, ceramics, and paint.

Mikey wants The Station Bistro to be a place where food, art, conversation and community come together – somewhere you can escape for a while, have a good time, and perhaps discover something unexpected along the way. “Come and eat here and be nice,” he quips. “Enjoy yourself and the company around you. Enjoy eating out. Leave happy, full… and even a little drunk.”

The Station Bistro is located at the Checkers centre in Hermanus CBD. They are open daily from 08:00.

Mikey will be hosting four workshops as part of Stanford in Bloom. Find out more at stanfordinbloom.co.za/events/list

In 2002, retired businessman Henri Kuiper recognised that education could make a lasting difference to the future of South Africa. With a particular focus on improving teaching and learning in the Overstrand, he brought together a group of like-minded people and founded the Enlighten Education Trust. What began with teacher workshops in seven local schools has grown into a long-standing educational organisation supporting thousands of children across our region.

Henri remained Life President of the Trust until his passing in 2020, but his vision continues to shape Enlighten's work today by improving the quality of teaching, learning and life in the Overstrand. The organisation now runs 18 projects across 22 schools and reaches more than 7 000 learners each year, as well as supporting more than 400 teachers.

While Enlighten's work encompasses everything from Early Childhood Development and aftercare to music, arts, e-learning (with access to free WiFi), and robotics, literacy remains one of its most important priorities, and the need is significant.

According to Enlighten, more than 8 out of 10 Grade 4 children in South Africa cannot read for meaning, and 6 out of 10 homes do not have reading materials or books. The Trust believes that early intervention is essential, and that working with young learners to develop reading, writing and reasoning skills form the foundation for future learning. 

Enlighten's literacy programmes include classroom support, targeted interventions and reading clubs, with bilingual support for Afrikaans and isiXhosa speakers. The literacy work is complemented by numeracy programmes and occupational therapy support, including assistance with handwriting and cognitive development. In 2024, 255 Grade R to Grade 1 learners showed measurable improvement in targeted areas through this support.

Books are central to Enlighten's approach. Their free library provides an important space for children to read, research and explore beyond the classroom. According to the team, around 50 children visit the library each day, while its afternoon homework room assists approximately 20 to 25 children from Grades 1 to 7 on a typical afternoon, with numbers sometimes reaching more. Homework support covers all subjects, alongside reading and research, and older learners also volunteer to help younger children.

Enlighten is also bringing its Shine A Light Project back home to its premises, creating another opportunity for the community to get involved in developing children's literacy skills. The project brings volunteers and children together through four simple but meaningful activities: volunteers reading to children, children reading to volunteers, writing, and grammar games. By making literacy interactive and enjoyable, Shine A Light aims to build confidence, strengthen language skills, and help children discover the joy of reading and writing in a supportive environment.

With classrooms becoming fuller as Hermanus grows, opportunities for individual reading and personalised support can become increasingly difficult to provide during the school day. Enlighten's volunteers help bridge that gap, sitting alongside children, listening as they read, helping with homework, encouraging them when they struggle, and celebrating their progress. All of the volunteers agree that it is extremely rewarding for them to see the young learners develop. 

The impact can be surprisingly simple. For a child who has struggled to read, being able to pick up a book and understand it can change how they see themselves as a learner. When asked what they enjoyed about coming to Enlighten, one young learner simply said: “They help me read.

Now, the wider community is being invited to help make those words possible for more children. On Saturday 26 September, the Hermanus Social Motorbike Club will host Ride to Read, a charity ride supporting children's learning. Riders from Hermanus, the Overberg, Somerset West and Cape Town will travel to Kleinmond, carrying donations of books, stationery, and art materials. Riders will meet at the Whale Coast Mall car park near McDonald's at 10:00 (contact Dan Bloch 063 669 2393 for more details). 

If you are interested in volunteering at Enlighten, please contact Corlia on 079 176 0182 or corliabloch@yahoo. To donate please contact Margriet at magriet@enlighten.org.za. Alternatively, click here to donate online.

For American chef Jason McKinney, the road to opening his own restaurant has taken him far from his hometown of New York. Rather than immediately opening ‘Elizabeth’ – the restaurant he has spent years dreaming about – Jason is taking a detour, travelling around the world, cooking, learning and immersing himself in the food cultures of 14 different countries. Now, that journey has brought him to South Africa, where he is spending two weeks at Creation Wines on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge.

During his time at Creation Wines with owners Carolyn and Jean-Claude Martin, Jason will be cooking alongside their team, hosting masterclasses for their chefs and preparing two special dinners, both of which are already sold out.

For someone who has travelled so far in pursuit of knowledge, the journey that brought Jason to this point began in a very different place. Long before the international kitchens, a successful food business and plans for his own restaurant, he was a young boy from Florida who simply loved to cook.

By 16, Jason was holding down two full-time jobs to help support his family. He completed high school a year early and found an opportunity to work in one of Disney’s food and beverage programmes. Without formal culinary training, he worked his way up through increasingly demanding kitchens, eventually joining a restaurant that served around 800 people a night. It was there that he told the chef about his dream of one day working at The French Laundry, the legendary three-Michelin-starred restaurant in California. The chef told him it would never happen and that he should forget about it. Rather than discouraging him, it fuelled Jason’s ambition. 

Jason went on to do a four-year apprenticeship at Sea Island Resort in Georgia, where he learned discipline, hospitality and the foundations of cheffing. While there, he met a chef who had worked at The French Laundry, who encouraged him to pursue his dream.

By then, Jason had a plan. First, he would get into The French Laundry and learn from the best. Then he would build his experience, raise enough money to open his own restaurant and eventually make that dream a reality. While on leave from the resort, Jason tried to reach out to The French Laundry to make an appointment with renowned chef and owner Thomas Keller, but he couldn’t get anyone’s attention. So Jason printed out his résumé and made his way to California. “My father helped me buy a suit, I bought a bottle of wine, and then I drove to The French Laundry in Napa Valley,” he says.

When he arrived, Jason was nervous enough to panic. But, steeling himself, he walked through the doors during a busy service and found himself face-to-face with Chef Thomas Keller. He asked if Thomas had a moment to chat and, once seated, handed over his résumé and the bottle of wine. After asking Jason a few questions, Thomas asked if he could start on Sunday at noon. Jason said yes. That Sunday, he also met Chef Tyler Vorce, who would become his best friend.

But getting through the door was only the beginning. The French Laundry was notoriously demanding, and Jason describes it as an “equaliser”, where even Michelin-starred chefs could find themselves struggling. Within two months, he had been promoted twice and found himself working as a fish butcher – a notoriously stressful position that involved handling thousands of dollars’ worth of seafood. He would arrive as early as 2am to stay on top of the workload. He studied books on fish and visited the aquarium to better understand how they moved, helping him learn how to butcher them properly.

After two years in the position, he moved up again and was eventually awarded The French Laundry’s Core Award for all his hard work. Jason remained at The French Laundry for five years before leaving to start off on his own. He worked briefly as a private chef for a client named Mitch, who became one of his biggest supporters.

In 2018, Jason launched a business with Tyler called Truffle Shuffle. Two years later, they appeared on the reality TV show Shark Tank, where they secured a deal with Mark Cuban. They sold Truffle Shuffle in 2025, bringing him one step closer to opening his own restaurant. Named ‘Elizabeth’ after his mother, the restaurant is planned to open in New York in 2027. It will be an intimate, 30-seat chef’s-counter experience, where guests will watch Jason cook.

After the sale of Truffle Shuffle, Jason made his way to Bangkok, where he spent two months learning creativity, precision and modern technique at Gaggan. The experience fuelled his desire to keep learning, and in January 2026, Jason set off on his official international culinary tour (www.whereischefjason.com), seeking out incredible restaurants and chefs around the world while filming and sharing his experiences.

Since then, the journey has taken Jason, his wife Polina, and cameraman Geraldy ‘Gigi’ Grandiosa through kitchens in Thailand, Indonesia, China, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and now South Africa. While at Creation Wines, they will also be taking time away from the kitchen to experience more of the Cape Whale Coast and Cape Town. They have already visited children at the Pebbles Project on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, with Carolyn arranging further visits to Grootbos and Marine Dynamics. They will also be exploring Hermanus with experienced local guide Susan Mann.

It is this sense of connection that seems to sit at the heart of Jason’s journey. The food is important, of course, but so are the people, stories, landscapes and communities behind it.

By the time ‘Elizabeth’ welcomes its first guests in New York in 2027, Jason will have cooked in 14 countries and collected countless ideas, techniques, ingredients and memories along the way. For now, though, the restaurant can wait – there is still plenty to learn, discover and enjoy before his ultimate dream becomes a reality. For anyone chasing a dream, Jason’s advice is simple: “Be relentless. Have a vision”.

BY DOMINIQUE PAYNEE

University of Pretoria MRI Whale Unit

In the coastal waters of South Africa, you can find an elusive and unique baleen whale that is not well known to many South Africans but is appreciated by those aware of its presence along our coastline.

Unlike the humpback and southern right whales, which visit the country’s coasts at specific times of the year, the inshore Bryde’s whale (pronounced broo-dess) is a true South African species that can be spotted year-round, if you’re lucky.

You may be wondering where to begin looking for these elusive marine mammals. Although incredibly shy and only briefly visible when surfacing, the Bryde’s whale can be identified apart from other large baleen whale species by its dorsal fin. The South African inshore Bryde's whale population do not undertake annual migrations, but they do rely on one of the most important, well-known biological events that occur along the coast: the sardine run. 

This phenomenon largely influences the small-scale movements of individual Bryde's whales up the east coast during the winter months, as these small pelagic fish form a major part of their diet. So, the Bryde’s whale is not just the only resident baleen whale species along our coast, but it also stands out as South Africa’s largest resident marine predator.

Conservation investigations of this population, however, have found that because of the inshore Bryde’s whales’ restricted habitat in the country’s coastal waters and small population size (less than 1 000 individuals), they are particularly vulnerable to human impacts and potential changes in the environment driven by things such as climate change. 

There has been substantial research effort focused on gathering important information relating to the inshore Bryde’s whales from the late 1960s through to today, all completed under the University of Pretoria Mammal Research Institute (MRI) Whale Unit. Through the years, knowledge gaps have been filled relating to their feeding ecology, behaviour and unique genetic makeup.  

Most recently, research using genomic techniques has identified that the inshore South African Bryde’s whales represent a unique lineage of the species when compared to other global Bryde’s whale populations in the greater southern African region and northern Indian Ocean.

Additional research is underway to further untangle this, including Bryde’s whale populations from other parts of the world, providing a more complete picture of how unique South Africa’s population is amongst them all. 

When it comes to showcasing South Africa’s unique biodiversity, Bryde's whales are a great example, from their residency in our country’s coastal waters to the distinctiveness of their genetic signature.

While figuring out the Bryde’s whale species can be tricky, researchers from South Africa and around the globe are gathering in an effort to untangle the story of this rare marine mammal.

Given their unique contribution to the country’s marine ecosystem, we will continue the pursuit of gathering as much information as we can to ensure the long-term protection and preservation of this proudly South African baleen whale population.