Nestled on the beautiful Lourensford Estate outside of Somerset West, EarthBox proved a unique and fascinating venue for a once-off dining experience.
Also read: EARTHBOX: A remarkable immersive journey through Earth’s history
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The vision of creatives Marina Busse and Braam Baard, EarthBox is an art exhibition with a difference. Dug deep into the landscape of the Lourensford Estate, this meticulously planned and beautifully executed underground chamber is designed to showcase the story of the land beneath our feet.
Complete with a weatherproof steel roof and accessed via one of two winding pathways, the plan for this cathedral-like exhibition’s layered, textured and even wet-in-place walls is to fill it with the same soil that was removed once the curtain comes down on its performance.
Until such time (which Busse says has already been touted as being longer than the initial three-month plan), Earthbox will host a series of special events and tours, including yoga and pilates classes, so-called Sunday Session music and choir performances and a Chef Series.
Descending into Earthbox on Valentine’s evening, the first welcome observation was the absence of a mobile phone signal. Our children were being cared for in safe hands, and this represented a rare opportunity for my wife and I to enjoy an evening without technology.
Hosted by the visionary behind The Anatomy of Food, Chef John Joseph, awaiting us within the carved-out walls of Earthbox was a culinary experience curated to pique both our taste buds and respective imaginations. Known for his cheeky, risqué character, while our first course was a play on honey and the pheromones used by the queen bee to keep her subjects in check, the second serving of ice-cold shaved celery with shaved truffle and a celery perfume (served in a spray bottle) was accompanied by a pair of ‘boobies’ in the form of balls of mozzarella cheese with strategically placed olives…
The only dish of the evening that was not carefully paired with a suitably sophisticated wine from the world-famous Nederberg winery was Joseph’s interpretation of his favourite breakfast dish, boerewors and eggs. Contrary to what you might imagine being served, we were presented with a helping of beef tartar made from the finest ingredients that might traditionally be included in boerewors, topped with South African-sourced caviar.
A culinary journey accompanied by the craftsmanship of a pianist positioned in the middle of our massive dining table – what better way to end the evening than with a sweet pumpkin tart?
Guests on the evening of Jaguar Land Rover South Africa, having spent the evening surrounded by rock formations and ground that is millions of years old, it felt appropriate that we depart this unique experience with the modern Land Rover Discovery Sport plug-in hybrid locked into stealthy EV mode.
While Chef John Joseph’s session was indeed a one-of-a-kind experience, be sure to visit earthbox.co.za for future events, including future Chef Sessions.
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Picture: Supplied
Instagram Picture: Earthbox Cape Town