The Bay’s beloved Beach Hotel, as understatedly glam as ever, is celebrating 125 years of history and heritage.
She’s the grand lady of Summerstrand and it’s in her company that countless glasses have been raised and treasured memories made.
A commemorative dinner was held in the Crest restaurant on Saturday February 16, complete with a nostalgic table d’hôte menu featuring classic dishes from the original Bell.
Many locals still lament the closing of the legendary restaurant in the early 2000s to make way for the hotel’s new conference centre. In 2008, Ginger was launched to once again offer classy dining, only in a location that also allowed guests to enjoy the view over Hobie Beach and Shark Rock Pier.
The dinner was a delightful trip down memory lane, with five starters, main courses and desserts from the heyday of the Bell served.
Two of the staff who used to work there, Chef Jumbo and Chef Khaya, both now at Ginger, were the masterminds behind the celebratory menu.
Remember that 70s staple, Avocado Ritz? There it was, right at the top of the list. And who could resist Calamari Bell, deep-fried in beer batter just like they made it back in the day?
Mains, too, made for some poignant palate pleasers. I feasted on Kingklip Papa Lanserre topped with asparagus, mushrooms and cheese, while my hubby, Salvelio, went even more retro with Escalope Cordon Bleu: crumbed baby beef filled with ham and cheese, fried and served with mushroom and red wine sauce.
For dessert I had my mom’s favourite, Crepes Suzette, while Salvelio chose cassata with chocolate sauce from other hard-to-resist options like creme caramel and bread-and-butter pudding.
It was an evening of fine food and reminiscences. Current GM Jacques Lombard, whose grandfather Roy bought the hotel in 1958, remembers growing up with one particular story, probably in the 1950s, of a family who’d come for lunch at the weekend while their mother rode her horse on the grounds behind the hotel, “apparently with special permission from my grandfather!”
My own folks, now long gone, were among many who adored the Bell. Mom, dressed to the nines, would always return with domed choccies or a knotted dinner roll or two in her tiny Balenciaga bag for us “gannets” to devour.
Three generations of Lombards have been custodians of the Beach for six decades, welcoming business travellers and holiday makers but always making sure local patrons were also well taken care of.
The Beach has undergone many changes over the years, Jacques says. The ground was once part of land owned by Piet Retief and the original hotel, a predominantly wood and iron structure, opened on February 16 1894.
Sadly, on December 1 1915, a fire destroyed virtually the whole building in just one hour. All that remained was part of what is now the Crest, Jacques says.
In 1922, Humewood was ripe for development following the completion of Marine Drive. The “new” Beach Hotel was built on the original site and completed in 1924. It changed hands a few times until Roy bought it and elevated it to SA’s first three-star hotel.
Jacques’ father, Trevor, still involved today as MD of the PE Hotel Group, took over in 1987; and Jacques in 2013, taking over from Dennis Peel who’d been here since 1981. “I did apparently inform him I would have his job when I grew up,” Jacques laughs.
Today the Beach has 137 staff members. “Among them is Greatermans, our porter, who’s been here for 28 years,” Jacques says. “Many guests will know him as Mike Tyson, the name he refers to himself as. His is one of the first faces everyone sees when they enter.”
Growing up, Jacques says, he was always excited to visit the Bell for Fillet Taverna – one of the dishes included last weekend – and “of course finishing with cassata!”
His earliest memory of the Beach is of amazing family Christmases: “The entire extended family would get together and make a real event of it. My grandfather would reserve the function room and put great effort into all the detail – he even named dishes after the grandkids and family.”