Ben`s on the Beach – one of the best

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BUSINESS | SAKE
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Ben’s on the Beach – one of the best
NIKITA SYLVESTER
STRAND restaurant Ben’s on the
Beach is holding the Helderberg
high: you can rest assured there
that, with its national Best Steakhouse award, you’ll be eating one
of the best steaks around.
Ben’s on the Beach proved it has
the sizzle when the Eat Out DStv
Food Network Restaurant Awards
set out to find those restaurants offering the tastiest, juiciest and most
tantalising steaks.
Ben Oosthuizen’s restaurant
and 24 others across the country
were selected as the best steak
and grill houses in South Africa.
The competition is not one restaurants can enter – judging happens
nationwide, and it’s completely unannounced and anonymous.
“I had no idea about the competition and that my restaurant had
been chosen,” Oosthuizen says. “I
heard about it from a friend and
went to check it out on the website.”
Although, he says, his business
has been going strong for eight
years, this award is a great accomplishment for the team. “This
award means a lot to me as I am
nearing the end of my career.”
Oosthuizen explains that he has
worked in steak houses for most of
his life. To him this is not just a job:
Shirley Oosthuizen at work in the restaurant’s own private butchery.
it’s about doing what you love and
making it a way of life.
The 56-year-old Oosthuizen,
originally from London but currently living in Somerset West, has
been in the steak business since
1974.
In 1985 Oosthuizen opened his
own steak house in Stellenbosch,
called Bobby Mc Gees. There he
won the very first JAYCEE Best
Steakhouse in the Cape award.
And at Ben’s on the Beach, Oostehuizen says, staff always strive to
give their clients the best service
and food.
“We are blessed with a fantastic
team who ensure that our meat is
of top quality.
“Ben’s has its own mini butchery and dedicated refrigeration
system where we process, age and
cure our meats. We are one of the
few grill houses that continue to
dry-age beef on the bone. Although
this is more expensive and labour
intensive, it is the time-honoured
and superior way to handle meat.
“The ageing and processing of
our meat is my personal responsibility, which I attend to on a daily
basis – six days a week.”
Oosthuizen explains that Ben’s
on the Beach is not just a place to
pop out for a quick bite: it’s a restaurant where you can spend hours en-
Innovation motivation:
Paul Harrison (left) from
Somerset West proudly accepts his title as Innovator
of the Year at the recent SA
Business Club Business
Awards. Harrison was up
against two other finalists,
and though he says they
were “very strong” competitors, his novel SMS-based
motivational service won
out in the end. “Unbelievable!” he says. “Considering that MOBIvation.com started out as just an idea
I was sending out to my friends to support them moving forward, to be recognised
in the mainstream business world like this is more than I ever dreamed possible.”
He says that, if there is one thing receiving this award has shown him, “no
idea is too crazy to be successful”.
Ben Oosthuizen, doing what he loves.
joying good company and great
food in a welcoming atmosphere.
He says that, in these tough times,
running a restaurant can be challenging. “Eating out has become expensive, but we’re very blessed because we’re still growing and happy
with the way things are going.”
Indeed, the restaurant is no
stranger to praise. In 2009 Ben’s was
awarded Best New Entry by the
Diners Club, which also handed it
a platinum award for its wine.
“Running a restaurant is about
passion,” Oosthuizen says. “You
think it’s easy but it’s not – you need
to care about what you do and believe in the pursuit of excellence.”
The business of being the best
CONSCIENTIOUS business people got
bang for their bucks when their hard
work earned recognition at the seventh
annual Business Awards, held by the Helderberg Chamber of Commerce at the
Lourensford Estate last Friday.
The Chairman’s Discretionary Award
went to Lourensford owner and prominent businessman, Dr Christo Wiese, in
acknowledgement of the impact of the
contribution he’s made to the local industry and its community, and his work
through Lourensford’s activities.
The other award categories recognised
meaningful and significant contributions
made by business, associations and societies within the Helderberg basin.
The winners were:
) Tourism Award – the Lord Charles
Hotel;
) Marketing and Branding Award –
Helderberg Hospice;
) Service Excellence Award – Helderberg Personnel;
) Business of the Year Award:
Friedman & Cohen.
The Helderberg Chamber congratulates all of this year’s winners, and voices
confidence that these awards will continue to inspire exemplarily service.
Helderberg Watch takes stock
BEATRICE WILTSHIRE
PROACTIVE policing is a far more effective way of dealing with crime than simply reacting as incidents occur, and this
point was stressed by Peter Brand, chairperson of the Helderberg Crime Watch
(HCW), at its annual general meeting.
“We believe that keeping the streets
safer is a very important layer of security,
just as important as the security within
the home or business,” Brand said, speaking at the Lord Charles earlier this month.
In keeping with this, the dedicated
HCW–Vetus Schola patrol vehicles have
been patrolling the streets by focusing on
crime hot spots rather than just driving
around aimlessly. Watch members say
this approach, working closely with the
police, law enforcement and other neighbourhood watches, has been bringing
down crime in the Helderberg’s residential areas since the end of 2010, at which
time crime throughout the country was
rising to unprecedented levels.
Operations manager Hugh Roe cautioned residents, however, to adapt their
lifestyles and teach their children how to
avoid situations in which they are vulnerable. People should get to know their
neighbours and get involved in community initiatives, he added.
HCW management are (back, from left)
Hugh Roe (operations manager), Peter
Brand (chair), Tony van Minnen,
Alastair Shand, John Middleton (vicechair) and Marius Victor. Front: Johan
Kruger and Leon Diedericks.
In the front row (from left) are Cherelle Economon (Lord Charles Hotel), Patricia
McNaught Davis (Helderberg Hospice), Sharon Booth (Friedman & Cohen), MarieLouise Harrison and Anne-Mart le Roux (Helderberg Personnel). At the back
are Johan West (Lourensford Estate biodiversity manager) and Renier Krige (HR
Direct, and chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce’s Helderberg Branch).