Fine Food at Your Fingertips with Lardiere

For many food lovers, or those who just have a distinct taste for luxury, dining out at a restaurant that offers fine food is a rare gastronomical treat.

Chef Junelle and her husband, Gerrie Germishuizen, however, are making gourmet dining more accessible with their new online food store, Lardiere.

“Having been involved in the food industry for over 20 years as a chef, caterer and restaurant owner, my motto has always been to select the best products that money can buy,” explains Chef Junelle. “I noticed that the best selections were usually only available for restaurants that could buy in bulk, so I wanted to find a way to make this produce available to anyone.”

The unique store caters to anyone from a master chef to an aspiring, amateur cook, and offers the type of premium quality produce and products that are usually reserved for high end restaurants. 

Now well on her way to making this happen, with Lardiere (derived from the word ‘larder’ – a room or a cupboard used to store food) on the brink of securing two sole distribution rights for leading international brands – positioning herself as a pioneer in bringing fine food ‘to the people.’

The company offers cooking classes, the first starting on the 6th of February in Pretoria, in which unique combinations and recipes are shared. “I want to teach people about fine dining and how to actually use high quality products,” adds Chef Junelle. “For example, buying cheaper meat doesn’t necessarily save money, as you have to add all sorts of things to make it taste good – which you wouldn’t need to add to a prime cut of meat.”

Anyone curious to see what they have on offer or wanting to find out more about the cooking classes, can visit www.lardiere.co.za. The current product list includes sumptuous wild mushroom ravioli, prime rib or beef rubbed with rosemary gremolata, chocolate panforte and pickled cherries – just to name a few of the culinary delights on offer.

Want to to stay in for an intimate Valentine's Day dinner, order online. Plan to have your in-laws over or simply want to cook a special meal for a loved one, source the finest food in town from Lardiere.

The Luxury Network

 

Strategy meets style when two masters of luxury join forces

When two leading luxury companies form a strategic collaboration, the results can only be extraordinary. LUXURY BRANDS, a niche global marketing firm and LIVEOUTLOUD, the all-encompassing luxury company, have joined forces to share their experience, expertise and services – making this influential pairing the final word in luxury brand marketing.

LIVEOUTLOUD has gone through some exciting expansions in the past year and its strategic partnership with LUXURY BRANDS is taking the business into a new sphere. “Niche and luxury brands occupy a unique position, which requires astute management and genuine marketing experience with high-end brands – like experiential and event marketing, which provide the best setting for more intimate contact with the consumer, and where the emphasis is on the quality of interaction as opposed to the quantity of interactions with the brand,” comments Michael Eilertsen, CEO of LIVEOUTLOUD.

LIVEOUTLOUD is the biggest, most comprehensive luxury lifestyle and marketing brand in Southern Africa, a company that speaks to sophisticated consumers through multiple touch points, such as its top-end publication, bespoke events and concierge travel service.

Working in symmetry to this, LUXURY BRANDS has been providing the niche luxury brand sector with proven marketing solutions and access to the highest net worth individuals in South Africa and abroad, and have managed events for the likes of Nelson Mandela, Elton John, The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

LUXURY BRANDS also recently jointly acquired the marketing rights for Africa for THE LUXURY NETWORK – The world’s leading luxury affinity marketing, partnership and Events group, boasting member brands such as Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley, Vertu, Jimmy Choo, Embraer Jets and many more desirable top international luxury brands.

Today, luxury marketing is proving to be more and more of a specialist niche in the industry, especially factoring in current economic climate. All communication and brand interaction has to be strategically coordinated to create an engaging and lasting, multi-faceted, sensory experience.


“Luxury branding has always been about an intimate knowledge of your audience and how to create the right reputation. Defining luxury is as much an art as it is a skill, and experience in this market is paramount,” says Jeremy Nel, MD of LUXURY BRANDS. 

Both of these luxury brands have a wealth of knowledge in providing the finest results for their esteemed clients, so whether approached to do market research, innovative company campaigns and launches, memorable events or other tailored projects, the combined experience and reputation of LIVEOUTLOUD and LUXURY BRANDS offers an impressive opportunity for any luxury brand.

Emirates Premium Travel with Boeing 777-300ER

 

Emirates welcomes the arrival of its inaugural Boeing 777-300ER

The new 354-seat aircraft introduces Emirates’ renowned First Class cabin on the Durban route and boosts passenger capacity by close to 30 percent, confirming Emirates’ continuing growth in South Africa.

The Boeing 777 offers the highest standards of passenger comfort, with eight luxurious private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat beds in Business Class and 304 generously-sized Economy Class seats. All classes of the aircraft are equipped with Emirates award-winning ice entertainment system with more than 1,200 channels of on-demand entertainment to choose from. This includes 200 movies from around the world, 100 TV channels, more than 500 audio channels, 100 video games and news, as well as sports and business headlines.

Customers can also look forward to gourmet food in all cabins and seamless transfers to the Emirates’ extensive global network through the airline’s state-of-the-art Terminal 3 hub in Dubai.

Emirates Broadens Its African Network with Lusaka and Harare 

Extending its reach into Africa with the launch of a new linked service to Lusaka and Harare. Now flying to 22 points within Africa, Emirates airlines will connect Zambia and Zimbabwe to key markets across Europe, the Far East, Australasia and the Indian Subcontinent.

To support the linked service, Emirates will promote Zambia and Zimbabwe’s tourism attractions, including Victoria Falls, the Zambezi River, game reserves and safaris, in advertising campaigns executed across the airline’s global network.

Emirates Holidays also feature eight pages on Zimbabwe and Zambia in its 2012 World of Choice brochure.

“Zambia and Zimbabwe are both important emerging business and industrial centres, with economies that are projected to grow by over five per cent annually during the coming years,” said Nabil Sultan, Divisional Senior Vice President Revenue Optimisation & Distribution. “Emirates’ new service will play a significant role in supporting this growth by connecting Lusaka and Harare to our worldwide network, opening new conduits for trade, investment and tourism.”

Upon arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, Emirates’ inaugural Flight 713 was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute. "Emirates’ decision to operate to Lusaka represents new economic doors being opened to our country. The fact that this airline, which is successful on all continents, is entering markets like ours as part of its expansion plans is clear evidence of excellent future prospects for Zambia and Zambians,” said the Honourable Given Lubinda, the Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Emirates services to Lusaka will be a huge boost to its tourism industry, helping to support the Zambia Tourism Board’s target for increasing visitor arrivals by 22.5 percent to one million visitors in 2012. The onward connection to Harare, operated by Zimbabwean Captain Ca Busiso Ndlovu, also received a warm welcome at Harare International Airport.

"The arrival of Emirates to Zimbabwe is a very significant development for the market. We welcome the entrance of a truly global airline; with an extensive network, large fleet and great reputation for quality service which will greatly improve choice and connectivity for Zimbabwean travelers," said the Honourable Nicholas Goche, Zimbabwean Minister of Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development. "Emirates will bring greater capacity and fare competitiveness, which will certainly lead to traffic growth to and from Zimbabwe."

Emirates’ services to Harare will support the Tourism Ministry’s projections that the sector will contribute over US$5 billion to the country’s economy by 2015. Following the launch of Lusaka and Harare, Emirates started services to Dallas, Texas on 2nd February and Seattle on 1st March, Ho Chi Minh City on 4th June and Barcelona on 3rd July. Emirates' 173-strong fleet is one of the youngest in the skies. Emirates SkyCargo’s fleet includes eight freighters (two Boeing 747-400Fs, two 747-400ERF and four 777Fs) that now serves 123 destinations in 73 countries on six continents.

Engel & Völkers - You only live once. We’ll show you where.

 

The Engel & Völkers Experience

Striving to create an unmatched experience, exceeding expectations and above all, delivering unexpected value. Offering red carpet treatment and silver service delivery in the sale of the finest real estate worldwide.

There are a few core elements that truly set Engel & Völkers apart. Our brand is attractive and distinctive, with every facet of our business reflecting the quality, style and sophistication for which we are so readily known. Through our worldwide connectivity and global expertise our truly international footprint is complimented by the crisp precision of our German heritage and the smooth sophistication as a world class player . Showcasing our unique offerings are our standardised shop concept, internationally associated brands and our signs of exclusivity. Internationally located in the heart of London’s elegant Mayfair this division of Engel & Völkers sees to the needs of ultra high net worth individuals.

Engel & Völkers aims to sell the finest real estate worldwide. Our focus is on quality, not quantity - class not mass, which enables us to handpick our property selection in our markets of choice to offer the global real estate market vintage properties in an all-seasons portfolio. We believe that through an ever increasing global presence, we are able to elevate our local market in the international property arena and at the same time channel the company’s global expertise back into our burgeoning market.

 

The National Guide to Real Estate

As specialists in the sale and rental of prestigious residential and commercial real estate, Engel & Völkers offers a comprehensive service founded upon a genuine, proven, customer-oriented service philosophy. The National Guide, an in-house Engel & Völkers Southern Africa publication, is printed and distributed in South Africa monthly and is now also available electronically. It showcases properties from across South Africa, as well as property news and information. 75 000 copies are distributed monthly, with an estimated readership of 120 000:

• Specifically targeted prominent clients
• Professional investors, brokers and portfolio managers
• Professionals that fall into the LSM 8, 9 and 10 income groups
• Everyone interested in expanding on or diversifying their investment portfolio 

The Global Guide

GG is an A4 high gloss international lifestyle and architectural magazine. The magazine has been in circulation across the world for over a decade· It showcases exclusive homes and properties, defining architectural and design trends. It is distributed on a quarterly basis to Engel & Völkers clients.

Engel & Völkers Yachting

Engel & Völkers Yachting have access to some of the world’s most fabulous motor and sailing yachts available for charter, from a few days to a whole season, in some of the most glamorous destinations. Our charter team specialise in providing the finest yachting solutions, tailoring your charter to your exact requirements.

About Engel & Völkers Southern Africa

Established in Hamburg in 1977 under Dirk Engel and Christian Völkers. From only one shop on the River Elbe, today we have a global footprint in 25 countries spanning 4 continents. Taking root on fertile South African soil in 2000 with the establishment of a head office in Cape Town under Christian Völkers.
Niël Cronje and Mathias Bode, established a second head office in Pretoria in 2003. In 2009, a consortium acquired the Master License for Southern Africa, including the Western Cape, under the helm of CEO, Craig Hutchison. Engel & Völkers Southern Africa has grown into a real estate company of choice with specialist divisions covering residential, commercial, property projects and developments, game lodges, agriculture, leisure and letting.

Emirates Holidays A World of Choice

 
I had the privilige of attending Emirates Holidays launch where it unveiled its new 600-page ‘A World of Choice 2012-2013’ brochure featuring over a 100 destinations, eight of them brand new, spanning six continents. The tour operating arm of Emirates airline already enjoys a presence in South Africa after opening its first Travel Hub outside the UAE at the Melrose Arch Precinct in Johannesburg last year.

Cape Town

The Cape Town launch forms part of the company’s series of mini-launches in South Africa that started in Durban ends in Johannesburg this June to travel agents and media. “South Africa is a market with great potential for Emirates Holidays,” said Frederic Bardin, Senior Vice President, Emirates Holidays.

Casablanca

“With 2012 being a landmark year for Emirates Holidays, following the launch of the new destinations, travel offers and the reintroduction of some old favourites, we are extremely excited to introduce our best and biggest brochure to date to South Africa’s three major cities.”

Argentina, Denmark, Ireland, Zambia and Zimbabwe all make their first appearance in the brochure, which has grown by 20 per cent – from 500 to 600 pages – since the 2011-2012 edition. Holidays to Dallas and Seattle in the USA, along with Vancouver in Canada, have also been introduced this year to coincide with the launch of new routes to these cities by Emirates airline.

In addition to the exciting new destinations, Russia, Morocco, Malta and South Korea have all been reintroduced into the brochure in response to customer demand. Offerings in popular countries such as China, Thailand, India, South Africa and Germany have also been expanded to provide more travel options with a wider choice of cruises, safaris, palace hotels and dedicated wellness retreats. The once-popular Fly & Drive packages have also been re-launched this year in partnership with various car rental companies to satisfy customer desire for a more diverse range of holidays around the globe.

“At Emirates Holidays we offer a tailor-made holiday experience to each customer so the changes we have made this year reflect current travel trends and are based on what our customers have told us they want.  The expansion of our offering has been driven by the increased demand for a wider choice of destinations around the world. Places that were once considered out of reach are now easily accessible with the launch of new routes by Emirates airline and with the help of our new brochure, the travel opportunities are endless.”

Khartoum

To reach out to its increasingly diverse customer base and to further reinforce its position as the leading holiday expert in the Middle East, Emirates Holidays has also expanded its 3 and 4-star hotel offerings, in addition to a wider choice of 5-star accommodation. 

The brochure features many of these hotels, with many more available when booking directly with Emirates Holidays or via travel agents. As always, excellent service levels, destination knowledge and attention to detail play a core part in providing the impeccable customer service that Emirates Holidays has become known for.

A wide network of well-trained Emirates Holidays staff  will help bring ‘A World of Choice 2012-2013’ to life for every customer through well-informed recommendations on flights, accommodation and sightseeing – all based on travel experience and extensive research. The Brocuhre is now available online and at Emirates Holidays travel hubs, including the Melrose Arch Precinct and across its international network of travel agents. For more information visit Emirates Holidays.

 

Its summer travel deals feature some of the most exciting destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Maldives.

From as little as ZAR8 100 during the months of June to August. “Emirates Holidays is delighted to bring our Summer Campaign to South Africa, one of our key markets which we believe holds great potential,” said Frederic Bardin, Senior Vice President, Emirates Holidays.  “Given the changing needs of travellers, we have carefully put together these holidays to ensure that our customers receive the best possible deal to suit their requirements and budget.”

The holiday options feature some of the most popular and exotic destinations on the Emirates network. Specialising in tailor-made holiday arrangements with a strong presence in the Gulf and Middle East, as well as in a growing number of Southern European, Asian and African countries.

Status Luxury Vehicles

Status Luxury Vehicles (SLV) is the leader in luxury car hire. Our services are available in the two major cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town, and cater for the discerning client. The extensive fleet of SLV consists of supercars, exotics, sports cars, convertibles, hardtops, sedans, SUV's, 4x4's, passenger carriers and luxurious limousines.

Most popular models include:

BMW: 135i Cab, X5, Z4, 6 Series Cab
•    Mercedes Benz: Viano, Vito, S Class, E Class, GL, SLK, SL, SLS
•    Audi: Q7, TT, R8
•    Porsche: Carrera, Boxter
•    Land Rover: Discovery, Freelander
•    Range Rover: Sport, Vogue, RRS
•    Ferrari: F430, 458 Italia, California
•    Bentley: Flying Spur
•    Rolls Royce: Phantom
•    Jeep: Wrangler
•    Hummer

You can also choose from any of the following services:

Tours in Cape Town: Ask us to be your guide and you can focus on sightseeing. We offer luxury Cape Point tours, Wineland tours and City tours in Cape Town.

Events: We can arrange ground transportation and an experienced team of personnel including coordinators, close protection officers (for VVIPs), security drivers, chauffeurs, ground handlers, drivers and team leaders to cater for efficiency and security. Our range of limos, people carriers, luxury sedans and SUV's will cater for the transportation.

Chauffeur Driven Car Hire: Our locally experienced chaperone will collect you on time and take you to your required destination, allowing you to relax or finish final preparations on the way. Whether you are on a tight schedule or just want a driver available on call, this service will not disappoint you.

VIP Protection: SLV regularly caters for still and film shoots by not only providing the vehicles but also catering for the VVIP celebrities themselves. We can provide experienced bodyguards along with chauffeur driven vehicle hire.

Airport transfers: Forget the hassle of having to arrange transport after a long flight. We will meet and greet you in the airport, escort you to your vehicle and take you straight to your hotel or place of accommodation.

  Self-drive: Take the road less travelled or simply enjoy the comfort you are accustomed to at home by cruising the coastline in a top of the range exotics. All of our cars are well-maintained and in excellent condition.

Feel free to contact a friendly consultant at SLV now, and find out just how easy it is to secure luxury car hire and other services. Status Luxury Vehicles – leaders in premium car rentals.

Quintessentially Your Global Concierge

Whether it be last minute flights to Cape Town, Johannesburg or abroad or tables at the best restaurant’s around the world Quintessentially SA will ensure members get an exceptionally efficient service wherever they are located.

A world leader in global concierge services founded in the United Kingdom in 2000 operated as a “Private Members’ Club” available to members 24 hours a day 365 days a year. With over 65 worldwide offices and upwards of 35 languages spoken, this multinational brand knows how to provide a “global yet local service”. And because it is operated on a member’s only basis, there is a cap placed on the total number of clients in order to insure that all their clients receive top notch quality services, tailored specifically to them.

The idea is that no matter where you may be in the world, there is always someone to take care of the details and make your life as easy and enjoyable as possible. With varying levels of service, members can expect to have a last minute table at a fully booked restaurant, tickets to the final of a world class sporting event, a VIP party planned to their exact specifications and invitations to attend high level networking events, just to name a few.

Pedro Camacho, the new owner and CEO of Quintessentially South Africa, has a very particular vision for the brand. His aim is to offer a well groomed, personalised, service to their members where requests are met above their expectations. "I want to make it better than the best and beyond what anyone expects”, enthuses Camacho.

In addition to the concierge service offerings, Quintessentially has 32 luxury sister businesses which covers all facets of the luxury lifestyle market, including Travel, Real Estate, Wine, Art, Luxury Retail, Events, Public Relations, Publishing and more. The various levels of membership range from General Membership, starting at R13, 000 per annum, to Dedicated and Dual Memberships starting at R32, 000 and R62, 335 per annum respectively, and finally Elite Memberships, which are by invitation only.

General Memberships allow members access to the AskQ concierge service, while the Dedicated and Dual Memberships, provide personal account managers, two for the dual membership. For those who are invited into the exclusive ranks of the Elite Membership, they can expect to have account managers provided for all of Quintessentially’s territories, twenty-four seven.

Quintessentially seamlessly deals with the more typical day to day concierge requests like chauffeured airport transfers, flower and champagne delivery and tables at fully booked restaurants, but also prides itself on being able to accommodate even the most taxing and unusual of tasks like arranging an overnight shipment of 200 Ladurée Macarons and 202 red roses from London to Slovenia.

Collecting medical documents from Rome and returning them to a client in London in the same day, recovering a digital camera left in a Taxi in Shanghai, researching the rules and regulations for owning a gorilla as a pet in Singapore and personally selecting a dress and delivering it to a Saudi Princess in Dubai before a photo shoot and flight later that day.

Members find the service truly indispensable. Many have been quoted saying that it was invaluable in a time of emergency or distress such as one member's ' son breaking his arm in Ibiza when Quintessentially found the best doctor and hospital and even helped them avoid the queue.

Even the PA to Coldplay uses the service to make room at fully booked restaurants or get the band to wherever they need to go. There is no task too great or too small for Quintessentially, they are always there to make the life of their members easier and provide only the best quality services by leaving the details to those at Quintessentially who do it best.

SUMMER LOVING 

The Quintessentially London Summer membership card

With the Olympics  upon us, London is the place to be this summer. The city will be abuzz with parties and pop-ups, celebrations and fun aplenty, and Quintessentially are on hand to ensure you don’t miss out. The ultimate lifestyle management service is offering a limited number of exclusive three-month memberships for those visiting London this summer. The Quintessentially London Summer Membership allows visitors to join Quintessentially, at the Elite membership level, for a period of three months and for them to enjoy a 24 hour personal concierge service which includes unrivalled insider knowledge of the city and proactive recommendations from Q’s little black book of contacts.