BMW M Festival 2019

After the success of BMW M Festival 2017, South Africa is getting ready for the second installment of this weekend long Beemer Fest. There's no doubt the country shares a strong love affair with the German motor manufacturer and with them investing so heavily in our country with their production plant, it only furthers the bond between the company and the country with this festival. Taking place at Kyalami from the 26th to the 27th of October, visitors to the festival and expect an action packed day, from track demo's, to viewing the latest in BMW's models to hit the shores of Mzanzi. 

Confirmed models to be showcased at the show are the much anticipated X3 and X4 M Competition, the performance range topping model of both popular SAV models is sure to be hit in the country. With the X3 being manufactured at Plant Rosslyn it holds a special place for South Africans but these specific M models come fully assembled from BMW's Spartanburg plant in the US. Other models that will surely get the pulse racing is the all-new BMW X6 which is a coupe based SUV variant of the new X5, the all-new 1 Series which many anticipate to be the range topping M135i xDrive. We hope for the crowds that it will be fully kitted out in the M Performance bits.  Another one not to be missed is the introduction to the market of the 340i xDrive. This model is another one that had locals itching, as its the first 3 Series model to feature BMW's all wheel drive system. Personally though, the star attraction of the show has to be the new 8 Series Gran Coupe. 

I'm a massive fan of these models from BMW and with the 8 Series Coupe already winning the hearts of many in the country, I cannot wait to see this longer, four door version of the already stunning car. In pictures it looks elegant and classy, in the metal I'm sure it is the same and a whole lot more. Not sure which engine variant will be on display at M Festival 2019 but I won't be surprised if its the M850i xDrive. 

Seeing that this is an event that caters for the family, BMW South Africa have a huge line up of live entertainment at the stage area. Artists such as DJ Kent, Goodluck, DJ Fresh, Nasty C, Ricky Rick and Zondering of the Netherlands just to name a few will be hitting the stage to provide you with music and sounds to get you moving on that dance floor. A full line up of the artists and times can be found below. 

Tickets for M Festival 2019 can be purchased from bmwmfestival2019.howler.co.za, follow BMW SA on their various social media channels for more info leading up to the event. 

Peacanwood Oktoberfest 2016

Beer fest's come and beer fest's go but majority of them are generally the same apart from one. What makes the Peacanwood Oktoberfest so great that about from a vast variety of beers for guest to enjoy the festival offers so much more that it's better known as a sport and lifestyle festival. Boasting visitors from around the country, Peaconwood Oktoberfest had over 6000 visitors at last years event and expect the crowds to be even larger this year. It has been voted SA's number one Sport and Lifestyle festival and KZN's biggest beer fest by far. 

Set in the tranquil KZN Midlands, just an hour outside Durban and 15 minutes outside Pietermaritzberg, Peacanwood offers it's visitors a unique getaway.  Taking place between 29-30 October, this years  theme being #chooseyouradventure the festival offers a wide array of outdoor activities featuring some extreme and popular sports of which include a 7/14KM trail run, 4x4 technical challenge, Enduro X, and the extremely popular MTB trails. 

Organizers have went out of their way to ensure that the mountain bike race is more of an experience to the participant. With carefully designed courses for all skill sets, the race can be done by race snakes as well as the weekend warrior. The variety of courses include single tracks, valleys, forests and escarpments set int he breath taking surroundings of the KZN Midlands each with their own unique challenges for both the novice and experienced rider.

For those runners who are tired of the same old trails, they need not worry as organisers have spent the last year designing and setting trail run courses that wil be that one course that sticks out heads above the rest for its originality, diversity and un spoilt routes as some of its trails have never been run before. 

Moving onto the main attraction of the festival, the beer! Holding the title as KZN's biggest beer fest, the festival has a lot to live up to and this year the Peaconwood Oktoberfest boast a vast selection of beers from around the country, along with Wine and Coffee Tasting Tent which features coffees from around the world. And to add to the excitement, the Oktoberfest girls will be on duty to make sure your glass never stays empty for too long.  

The #chooseyouradventure them continues with fans choosing which of SA's top bands they would like to see perform at the festival. This years acts as voted by the the public include, Francois Van Coke, Short Straw, Crash Car Burn, Gus Brown, Chico Muyo, Ryan Stylz, Rowan Stuart and many more. This will be Short Straws and Francois van Cokes last performance in KZN for 2016. 

Thinking of making the Peaconwood Oktoberfest a weekend away? Why not? You can bring your own tent and camp for free or book a place in the tended camps on offer from Tent Nation. Past visitors to the festival know why it's one of the most attended festivals in the country and which see's people from every province making their way to KZN for it. For the first timers, you will soon find out what makes this one so special. Early bird tickets are available for sale now from their website: www.peaconwoodoktoberfest.com

We will be running a competition in the coming weeks for you to win tickets to the Peaconwood Oktoberfest Sports and Lifestyle Festival so be sure to stay tuned to win!

Bucket Scene: The Dutch - ReImagined

Many a Durban night goer would be familiar with the Dutch in the Umhlanga Village, popular for it's classic 70's style decor, live bands and great bar but the owners of this fine establishment felt that it wasn't what they had envisioned for the place. After a brief shutdown in February, the Dutch reopened it's doors to the public and I was invited to sample what the new look, well rather "re imagined" Dutch is all about. 

I get asked all the time for popular night spots for people to visit and dine at, and also places that offer live entertainment, whilst there are plenty of places in Durban that offer great food, there was a gap in the market for a place that offered both. The Dutch always prided themselves in hosting some of the best local talents on their stage but their food menu was limited to tapas like variety but that has all changed now. The team has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring you a menu that takes your taste buds on a gastronomical adventure. 

The Dutch now operates as premium dinning and entertainment venue, with them operating from Tuesday to Saturday with live entertainment scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Unlike before, booking is a must if you want to visit the Dutch as the venue can accommodate 100 seated guest and a few more around the bar. Since the venue is now a restaurant, crowd control is paramount to ensure that diners have the best dinning experience. Whilst still enjoying themselves to the entertainment on offer.

The night of my visit, Durban's very own Gangs of Ballet were performing live. With their performance scheduled for 10pm it gave diners ample time to enjoy dinner before the show started, speaking of dinner, it's definitely not to be skipped, the menu is a mixture of local favourites with a twist only the Dutch could pull off. One does not have to do a full dinner as tapas and cocktails can be had either at your table or at the bar. 

For starters I opted for the Prawn Samoosa, which consist of a generous amount of prawns and yellow potato filling served in 3 golden brown crispy fried samoosa's served on a bed of cucumber raita and paprika oil. It's the perfect balance of hot and cool, with flavours to awaken your sense for the next course. 

For mains they have seven options to chose from, whether you looking for something light like a burger or sliders to a fillet steak served on cheese polenta and red wine jus. They even one of the few restaurants I know of that serve Norwegian Salmon that is specially imported and prepared in miso and honey glaze, accompanied with umami courgette stir fry, sweet confit cherry tomatoes and wasabi spinach mayo.

Whilst the first and second course might be quite a mouthful, be sure to save some space for dessert! With the Dutch being from the same brainchild as Remo's and Old Town Italy who are both renowned for their pastries and desserts, most particularly the ever popular cronut, you know the dessert menu is going to be good. While I opted for the lemon brulee, which was more of a deconstructed lemon meringue, a friend at the table went for the coconut macaroons. Both of which were exceptional and left us wanting more.

With our hunger satisfied, it was time for us to settle in and enjoy the sounds of the guys from Gangs of Ballet who took us away with their wonderful melodies in a great unplugged set whilst enjoying our drinks for the rest of the night. It was truly a great evening out and an experience that was missing in the Durban night. Whether you go for dinner or just for a quiet drink, the Dutch will certainly cater for even the most distinguished taste. 

For  booking inquiries and more information,

Telephone: 060 588 5674

Website: http://thedutch.co.za/

Facebook: Dutchism

Instagram: the.dutch

Address: Cnr of Chartwell Dr & Lighthouse Rd, Umhlanga