Mountain of a task to feed 700

INLSA

Workers set up the marquee for the Table of Unity

Nontando Mposo

STAFF REPORTER

HOW DO you get 700 people around one table on the slopes of a mountain?

With clockwork precision and more than a dollop of elbow grease.

This Sunday the famous and not-so-famous will gather for the 11th instalment of the Table of Peace & Unity get-together on the slopes of Table Mountain to break bread and raise funds for organisations working with abused, vulnerable and orphaned children across the country.

Yesterday preparations were under way at the mountain for an event that has taken up to six months to organise.

Preparations include:

l Putting up a 200m-long marquee weighing 13 706kg. This takes five days to set up and break down.

l Top chefs Peter Tempelhoff, Delia Harbottle, Morne Botha, Jerome Peters and Danielle Schamrel creating three courses of scrumptious dishes.

l The chefs delivering the food and beverages to the marquee at about 5am on the big day.

l The delivery of freshly baked bread an hour later.

l Setting the table. This will take eight hours. The guests will be served by students from the Cape Town Hotel School. All food left over will be donated to the Food Bank.

l Stocking up on drinks, including 375 bottles of sauvignon blanc, 220 bottles of merlot, 120 bottles of riesling and 97 cases of soft drinks.

The starters will be prepared by Harbottle, who has cooked for celebs including Brad Pitt and Wilbur Smith, as well as the the US Secret Service. Her ingredients will include salmon, black lumpfish caviar, goat’s cheese, large tiger prawns and jalapeño chillies.

The main course will be prepared by the executive chef at the Park Inn Radisson Hotel, Morne Botha.

Event founder Christine Cashmore says her vision of contributing towards bettering the lives of less fortunate children has proved that each small contribution helps.

“Child abuse is reaching catastrophic levels around the world. Everyone can make a difference, no matter how small the contribution is. The Table of Peace & Unity makes it easier for a diverse group of ordinary people and dignitaries to get to know each other over a delicious three-course meal and to share ideas about bringing peace and unity in our nation,” she said.

Money raised by ticket sales goes to charities including Operation Bobbi Bear, Tygerberg Children’s Hospital, Red Cross Children’s Hospital and the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Centre in Masiphumelele, as well as other groups. To date, the event has raised close to R12 million for nearly 20 children’s charities inSA.

Entertainment will be provided by Danny K, PJ Powers, the Gugulethu Tenors and Sterling EQ, among others.

For bookings, as well as how to host a Table in your own community, go to www.tableofpeaceandunity.co.za or e-mail shona@gourmetsa.com

Tickets are R450 for adults and R150 for children.

nontando.mposo@inl.co.za