#moreson

Meeting Neil Jewell of Moreson's Bread and Wine Restaurant was something I'd hoped to do for a long time. Tales of his passion for food and what he and his family eat, as well as his English humour and mastered art of Charcuterie, were often told.

A London based chef who made the Cape his home 15 years ago after quitting the high-paced industry life which was no longer for him. After spending a year travelling in Africa with his wife Tina, they settled at Bread and Wine in Franschhoek and have been there building it up ever since. Very good for all of us locals, as besides bringing his cheffing skills to the restaurant, he has brought his love for curing fine meat. 

Neil says that his Charcuterie skills were developed by chance, and have grown into his passion. When he first arrived he 'bragged at a winemakers and chefs evening that he could make a fine lamb bacon'. The next morning the requests for this delicacy were coming in, and instead of admitting he made no such thing, Neil rose to the challenge, did some research and tried it out with much success. Since then he's developed the skill of charcuterie with what he calls "mountains of patience and bucket loads of love." 

Important too that he uses only pasture-raised pigs which he gets from the Glen Oakes Farm in the Hemel en Aarde Valley.

After an introducing to the products and a lucky look into his intoxicatingly delicious smelling fridge, we got to taste some of the meats on offer.

Moreson Wine Estate is a beautiful place to visit, their wines are wonderful and their bubble a thing happy is made from. Actually, on this occasion we stocked up for the Bord Bia dinner, and managed among the few of us to finish six bottles of Miss Molly in an evening. An 'easy to do' given how good it is.

This is the poster of Neil on the door of his charcuterie filled walk-in fridge. Pretty darn cool!