Nederburg is sponsoring the Rising Star award that will go to South Africa’s most exciting new restaurant talent, to be announced in November this year. The coveted title forms part of the Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards, taking place this year at Cape Town’s Mistico Equestrian Centre on November 15.

Established last year, the Eat Out Nederburg Rising Star honour annually goes to the most promising newcomer to South Africa’s restaurant scene, identified by Eat Out’s judging panel, led by Abigail Donnelly. This year there is intense speculation about who will win, given the spate of newly established city and country eateries across the country.

The personality crowned the Eat Out Nederburg Rising Star in 2014 was West Coast foraging fundi, Kobus van der Merwe of Oep vir Koep (top image). His Paternoster restaurant is now regularly booked out, while his book, Strandveld Food – a West Coast Odyssey, has earned him a national following.

Eat Out will create a selection of recipes, each matched with a wine from Nederburg’s Heritage Heroes gourmet collection. The series of recipes will be featured weekly over the campaign period in Eat Out’s online newsletter.

The five wines in the Heritage Heroes collection are individually named to commemorate a Nederburg character that has played a starring role in building the winery’s reputation. Sold locally and internationally, they are proving a hit with international foodies. Wines in the collection are stocked by several luxury restaurants and hotels abroad, including London’s Wheelers Rib Room & Oyster Bar owned by celebrity chef Marco Pierre White.

According to Nederburg spokesperson, Jeanine Smith, the winery’s sponsorship of the Eat Out Nederburg Rising Star Award is an extension of its collaboration with leading South African culinary personalities.

“We are excited to be involved in the culinary evolution taking place in South Africa and to share in the exciting innovation that is occurring in so many parts of the country.

“We have worked with Kobus since he won the award. We have also teamed up with other top food talents. These include David Higgs, who recently took Nederburg wines to Europe where he cooked for the Tour de France maiden Africa team. Others have included Pete Goffe-Wood, a Masterchef SA judge, as well as restaurateur and food stylist, Jacques Erasmus, the 2013 Eat Out Rising Star, Vanessa Marx, Wesley Randles of The Pot Luck Club, and Thuli Gogela of the rapidly growing Mzansi Style Cuisine blog.”