Because Christmas in South Africa usually means cooking up a storm in a hot kitchen at the height of summer, many of us don’t get to enjoy a Christmas holiday and are left completely burnt out with frayed nerves!

This year, why don’t you lose the stress and put the jolly back into Christmas by heading to the beautiful Midlands and a culinary delight accompanied by award-winning wine from the Granny Mouse top wine cellar.

Whether you’re planning a short stayover, or just coming for the day, Granny Mouse Country House & Spa is just 90 minutes from Durban and a friendly neighbour of Pietermaritzburg, right in the heart of Balgowan on the Midlands Meander route.

This year, the culinary artists at the Mouse House have created a casual bistro choice Christmas lunch menu.

To get the taste buds all in a jingle, there will be welcome drinks on arrival from 11am, and then that’s when the Christmas celebrations can really begin.

The menu kicks off with the following starters: peri-peri chicken livers, in a creamy peri-peri

chipolata sauce with marinated red peppers topped with sambals & served with toasted ciabatta; duck phyllo rolls (confit shredded duck, mixed with fresh coriander & peanuts, wrapped in phyllo pastry served with Asian slaw & nước chấm sauce served with veg & a side of your choice); camembert (panko crumbed camembert served with caramelized red onion, honey roasted nuts & seeds, cinnamon & star anise syrup & toasted ciabatta) or moules mariniere (classic French style mussels cooked with white wine & garlic finished with fresh cream & parsley served with brioche bun.

There is a large, scrumptious selection of mains; mushroom salad (deep fried mushrooms with feta, mixed peppers, croutons, olives, mixed greens, and a fresh tangy lemon vinaigrette); butternut gnocchi (roast butternut cream, cherry tomatoes, toasted pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, caramelized red onion, red peppers, sundried tomato & Danish feta); prawn aglio olio (sauté prawns flashed with white wine, lemon juice & zest, onion, garlic, leek, cherry tomato, fresh herbs finished with a drizzle of olive oil) or kingklip (served with a choice of two sides).

The grills for the meat eaters are on point with a 200g fillet, 21-day aged sirloin, lamb chops or chicken schnitzel. The sides offered are chips, mustard and leek mash, roast veggies, side salad and an assortment of sauces being pepper, cheese, mushroom or garlic and herb.

For the sweet tooth, and what a way to wrap up a fabulous feast with family and friends, is a trio chocolate mousse (with an espresso sorbet/granita & brûlée banana); churros (with chocolate sauce, pumpkin spice caramel and crushed Oreos); strawberry & Pimm’s Eton Mess (with strawberry citrus Swiss roll, pavlova, Pimm’s whipped cream, strawberry coulis and fresh strawberries), or an ice cream trio with a splash of alcohol.

Every year, Christmas bookings come in rapidly. So, for more information, or to reserve your place, contact Veronica on 033 234 4071 or email banqueting@grannymouse.co.za. Bookings close on 15^th December. Please don’t forget to go through all the Ts & Cs regarding deposits, kiddies’ menus, allergies, etc.

The perfect gift this Christmas will be to allow the Granny Mouse Country House & Spa team to take care of you, your family & friends!

Retreat activities are an opportunity for an organization to recreate and learn. Depending on the activities you choose, your team members can benefit from enhanced teamwork, collaboration, communication and conflict resolution skills.

Choosing the right activities for your group can help you focus on the area’s most important for your business’s success, as well as the overall success of your team.

Retreats provide numerous benefits to a company and its employees:

• Team building – allowing your employees to get to know each other.
• Development of values – inspire development of values that help establish your company culture.
• Conflict resolution – learn new ways in which to resolve tension between team members especially if it’s a competitive environment.
• Rejuvenation – the activities are refreshing and break the monotony of routine at work.

Some ideas could include:

• Hosting a welcome party – especially if the retreat is longer than a day.
• Corporate trivia – asking questions about the team members and the company. It really is a fun way for the team to get to know each other, and the company, better.
• Scavenger hunt –team members get to work together. They work really well with larger groups.
• Karaoke night – helps to bring your team out of their shell. Set up groups so the few that cannot sing well aren’t humiliated. It’s also fun to choreograph a song and work together out there on stage.

The banqueting and events team at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa have tons of ideas to help you structure your next retreat and create many happy memories together.