Executive Chef Geoffrey Murray believes in using seasonal organic ingredients wherever possible. This means local products are first choice and Geoffrey has even cultivated his own garden for fruit, vegetables and herbs, with the help of local farmer Oom Hennie Ahlers and his team.
The 5,000m2 garden is in the heart of the Pezula Private Estate, where the soil is rich and fertile thanks to the resort’s rehabilitation programme which has removed many thousands of alien trees. The team makes its own compost and uses manure from the resort’s horses. Terraces are planted with species like lavender and marigolds that protect the crops from bugs and insects. And of course, no pesticides are used.
Says Geoffrey: “I think that one’s food reflects the dedication and fervour that goes into growing your own vegetables. If you understand where good food comes from and how it is produced, you tend to seek out food that is authentic, local, seasonal, and minimally-processed whenever possible.
“At Zachary’s we are proud to be ‘locavores’, which means that we use locally grown ingredients, and take advantage of seasonally available foodstuffs that can be bought and prepared without the need for extra preservatives.
“Locavores pay attention to where their food comes from and commit to eating local food as much as possible. It’s great because in this way we are also able to support our local farmers.”
As another example of Zachary's devotion to all that is fresh and local, Geoffrey and his team make all the restaurant's charcuterie, jams, marmalades, chutneys and jellies themselves.
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