Planning an open-air event of this nature
in Cape Town during the month of May is risky to say the
least.
As it is, it was windy and cold on Friday night.
There was nothing special about the set-up
at the Greenpoint Cricket Ground.
|
Marquees
and Bedouins where exhibitors plied their trade and
that was it. |
We were three couples.
Tickets R70 each. That’s R420.00 just to walk through
the gate.
But the tasting was free I reckoned, so maybe it was worth
it.
Next the daughter led the way to buy Crowns.
Crowns are booklets of 20 vouchers at a cost of
R!00 per book.
This was the currency needed to sample the wares.
‘So it’s not free after all’
I predictably thought.
Then we had to purchase glasses for tasting.
Two Crowns per glass. Another R60 gone, and we
had not yet set foot in the actual event. But a least we
had empty glasses.
I glanced through the extensive menu in
the brochure. Many options at between 4 and 8 Crowns per
‘menu’ as they were called in the brochure.
That’s not too bad after all.
Between R20 and R40 per ‘menu’.
That’s good value.
Until I saw the ‘menu’ in a tangible
form.
For 8 Crowns you literally get a spoonful of something
or other, served on a styrofoam saucer with a plastic fork
and a serviette!
I kid you not.
‘This is a rip-off’ I predictably
started thinking.
Barbara and Eddie had wisely disappeared
by now. When the tall guy called them to find out where
they were Eddie simply said ‘Crowns finished.
Home.’
At last, I found something worth buying
at La Petite Paris. The Brie was indeed very good, but they
did not accept Crowns. I had to cough up R59 in
cash.
Then I found some really good dried olives at Cherries and
Berries, but alas, they too did not accept Crowns.
Another R35 in cash.
What then to do with the remaining Crowns
when we had enough of being ripped off in the cold and wind?
We spent it on a couple of spoons of mushrooms, but in retrospect
I should have given the Crowns to the Bergies at
the traffic lights and explained to them that it was really
'kroon'.
Maybe they would appreciate Pick & Pay
Taste of Cape Town.
Besides, the associate sponsor was Orbit Professional
Sugar-Free Gum.
That
would impress the hell out of the bergies. |
|
We should probably have bought the Taste
Club House tickets at R750 (which includes R200 in Festival
Crowns, plus lots of extras) according to the website.
With 40 Crowns I could have gotten an empty glass and four
saucers of food.
And apparently these tickets allowed one access to the Club
House Marquee and a complimentary premium bar.
Probably a complimentary bar of chocolate.
Premium chocolate though.
