With #DayZero swiftly approaching for Cape Town, we’ve been closely monitoring how restaurants and tourism establishments are responding to the drought crisis. We’ve helped many food and beverage establishments find the water storage solutions for their needs, and installed a number of water tanks in Cape Town.
Across the country, however, we should all be considering the act of saving water as a priority, as South Africa is primarily a water-scarce region. As the effects of climate change take hold, causing seemingly unpredictable weather patterns and wreaking havoc on many industries, homes, and communities, treating water as our most precious resource must be an imperative for every person living in South Africa. We took a look at how restaurants and hotels in Cape Town are responding to the water crisis, and listed a few of the more innovative ways they’re saving water below:
During November 2017, EatOut put together this list of handy tips and tricks shared by restauranteurs in the region. We particularly approve of this tip from IYO Burgers:
Jean-Marc Lenferna DeLa Motte of IYO Burgers on Bree Street is also finding new ways to save water: “We make sure that all our plants are watered using grey water and that the chips we boil are done in the same water that they are soaked in and that water is then used to irrigate”.
Interestingly, as reported in a January 2018 Business Day article, restaurants are also changing their menus to adjust to a more water-wise approach in the kitchen. The Vineyard Hotel, for example has:
“…discarded pasta from the menus at their restaurants and patrons can no longer order boiled vegetables. Executive chief Carl Van Rooyen said different cooking techniques have been implemented to save water:“We don’t boil anymore, we steam. We have taken pasta off our dinner menu‚” he said. Water used to wash vegetables was transferred to 200-litre drums and stored for other uses. “No more boiling of anything‚ it is all steaming and frying; deep frying and shallow frying.”
And this handy guide, put together by Food24, outlined how local chef and owner of Saucisse Deli, Amanda Lewis, seeks to save water in her kitchen.
An interruption in water supply can be devastating for any industry, and for food and beverage establishments in South Africa, it’s an operational nightmare, as the effects of climate change take hold. Our experienced team can help – get in touch!
© SBS Holdings 2024