Media Release

IT'S ALL IN A DAY'S WORK!
Dinner in the Sky is one of the latest adventures to sweep South Africa, with hundreds of people lining up to enjoy a first class dining experience at a table suspended 50 metres above ground.

For Marlu Gebhardt, sous chef for Town and Country Cuisine, a prominent Johannesburg upmarket function and event catering company which forms part of Compass Group SA, one of Gauteng’s leading outsourced caterer’s, it’s all in a day’s work. Marlu, along with a team of other culinary experts from Town and Country Cuisine prepares a delicious three course meal for Dinner in the Sky guests. Marlu then climbs on board the platform located in the middle of a square table, which is hoisted by a crane 50 metres into the air, where he entertains guests, and prepares and serves a delicious, up-market three course dinner.

With an average of two bookings per day the Town and Country Cuisine team has these special dinners down to a fine art. All food is prepared at the business unit’s main kitchen in Kya Sands, loaded into a refrigerated truck and transported to makeshift kitchen facilities and a marquee tent at the Dinner in the Sky facilities, in Fourways.



Starters are served on the ground, and the main course is plated just before launch. To ensure the meal is kept warm and fresh, the food is placed on heated plates and then covered with a silver dome. As soon as the plates are loaded, the table goes up.

Placed literally in the centre of the table, the chef has to be able to interact with guests, and add to the magic of the evening.



Careful consideration is also given to meals which are prepared in front of guests, to ensure the dishes are conversation starters, such as Prawn Moneybags, Honey and Lavender Infused Crème Brulee or Berry Romanoff, which take particular flair and skill to prepare.

For his first Dinner in the Sky, Marlu admits that he was very nervous and hardly said a word. However, having prepared and served over 15 of these dinners, Marlu has learned to handle the unusual circumstances and height with finesse!

It becomes part of the job you find that you relax and enjoy it more and more, he explains. Marlu began his cooking career seven years ago when he first qualified in England. After working in England for two years, he returned home and began working at Town and Country Cuisine. I’ve been with the company for five years now, and it’s fair to say this is definitely one of my most interesting assignments.

One thing’s for sure, this is definitely not your average job!