Dutch chef Margot Janse’s restaurant The Tasting Room at the exclusive boutique hotel Le Quartier Français in the Franschhoek Valley, just 45 minutes from Cape Town, is South Africa’s most lauded fine-dining restaurant. In 2009 Margot Janse started the project Isabelo: Sharing is Caring. With the help of a dietician, she designed a highly nutritious muffin recipe for a small local crèche. These muffins were crammed full of all the daily nutritional requirements growing children need. The concept proved so popular that, through the generous donations of guests and friends of Le Quartier Français, they were able to supply, five days a week, healthy food to more and more children in the area.
‘About twelve years ago I got to know Jan and Lars, when they came to have lunch at my restaurant. They were such nice guests. They usually brought along equally pleasant friends. Over the years, our friendship has grown into a deep and very special bond. Jan and Lars were among the first to support our Isabelo project. Thanks to their great help with fundraising we are now able to supply 1,150 children with a healthy meal every schoolday. This wouldn’t have been possible without Jan’s enthusiasm and dedication.
Dear Jan: cheerful, sincere, compassionate, hard working and inspirational. He is an example of how to enjoy life fully, together. I am very grateful for my friendship with Jan and Lars. The sweet emails, advice, pictures of dishes they discover on their travels. The ‘vlokken’ (Dutch chocolate flakes) for my son Thomas and ‘stroopwafels’ (caramel waffles) for me, they bring over from the Netherlands. The wonderful lunches at Bridge House. Enjoying the beauty of
South Africa together. That’s what real friends are for….’
For more information about the Isabelo: Sharing is Caring project please contact concierge@lqf.co.za
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