Friday, March 29, 2024 14:30:00

Rs 22.95

The country’s borders are closed? Never mind! To end 2020 in style, Grays’ 20/Vin boutiques invite you each month to discover a new terroir throughout the world. So, close your eyes and follow us throughout this beautiful gustatory odyssey…

From the mountainous reliefs of Constantia to the valleys of La Rioja, 20/Vin embarks its members through an exclusive adventure. After rediscovering Mauritian expertise in August, ranging from New Grove rums to Takamaka wines, the month of September was dedicated to South African terroirs. In October, wine lovers will discover the Spanish terroirs. November, on the other hand, will be devoted to the world of whisky, taking amateurs from Scotland to Japan. Finally, in view of the end-of-year festivities, December will honor the terroirs of France, with a selection of wines and champagnes.

These various events will be marked by special animations in the eleven 20/Vin cellars across the island. In addition to themed decorations, tastings will be held to allow amateurs to expand their taste buds. 20/Vin will also organize events, such as parties or masterclasses, highlighting each region.

Finally, members will be invited to complete their own “Explorer’s Map”, which will allow them to participate in a draw at the end of the year. Prizes emphasizing the art of living are to be won, as well as the pleasure of discovering and sharing!

Follow the hashtag #odyssée20vin and go to the 20/Vin Facebook page or to the 20/vin store nearest you to learn more and participate.

The museum of L’Aventure du Sucre keeps on reinventing itself even though it is closed since the lockdown. Through discoveries and culture, it makes us plunge back into the history of Mauritius and offers delightful experiences to be shared with family, friends or colleagues… Lets explore.

A positive attitude keeps the team of L’Aventure du Sucre going. Since the end of the lockdown, and although the borders of our country remain closed to this day, the museum has been constantly innovating in order to be ready to welcome visitors again, while in the meantime offering a rich cultural program to Mauritians and residents.

A busy cultural agenda!

Between themed evenings, gourmet events and key dates on the calendar, L’Aventure du Sucre has been THE place to be these last few weeks!

  • On August 7, the restaurant Le Fangourin hosted a Ciné-Dîner evening in partnership with L’Institut Français de Maurice. The free screening of the movie “Alice et le Maire” was a big hit: the restaurant was fully booked! This will certainly pave the way for a second event of the same kind.
  • On August 29, it was the annual Rewind party which drew the crowds. For its big comeback, this event dedicated to the fans of the 80s and 90s gathered nearly 1,500 people all night long!
  • On September 4, a special evening was organized: in collaboration with La Isla Social Club and Attitude Hotels, the museum hosted its very first concert within its walls! Dreamers took full advantage of the industrial and majestic decor of the museum to make the 700 people present dance to the sound of Black Soul Fever, AnneGa or Babani Soundsystem.
  • On September 24, 20/Vin hosted an event at L’Aventure du Sucre in honour of the South African Heritage Day. A wonderful opportunity to undertake a gastronomic journey.
  • On October 31, the site will host the Desi Night – Halloween Edition event starting at 8pm. A wild evening to the rhythm of Bollywood and Western music awaits you. Presenters from Wazaa FM will ensure the animation, the games and offer nice surprises. Tickets will be on sale soon, stay tuned!

L’Aventure du Sucre will not be stopping there and is already planning two must-see events in the coming weeks:

  • On October 10, the Gourmet Experience edition #19 will be held for the first time at L’Aventure du Sucre. This festive family-friendly event will make you discover the thousand and one flavours of our island and elsewhere!
  • On November 7, it will be the turn of the Kaz’Out festival to draw people. This 100% local edition promises to make us rediscover our best talents in a vibrant atmosphere!

Innovation is on the agenda

The closing of the museum is also an opportunity to review its offer to make it more accessible to all.

Thus, L’Aventure du Sucre invites you to embark on a gourmet adventure in the world of sugarcane, through its free mobile application. From your couch, explore the history of Mauritius as you’ve never experienced it before! The application is now available in seven languages.

“Innovation” does not necessarily mean “technology” but rather rethinking our habits to improve them! With that idea in mind, the museum has come up with a new team building offer combining culture and entertainment to (re)discover our island’s heritage. The ludic workshops focus on gastronomy, environmental awareness and the experience of cane cutting. There is nothing like collaborating with one’s teams on new tasks to strengthen ties!

Cultural events on social networks

Although the museum is closed, L’Aventure du Sucre continues to promote its cultural offer on social media through two weekly events. First the #mardiculture, which recounts the museum’s most beautiful anecdotes through fascinating video stories, then the Wednesday gourmet recipes shared by the Chef of the restaurant Le Fangourin, which allow people to rediscover our local flavours. Quite a program!

Visit L’Aventure du Sucre’s website to find out about upcoming events, download recipes and explore our country’s sugar history:

https://www.aventuredusucre.com

Did you know that the sugars produced by the cane cluster of Terra are certified kosher and halal? Here is more information on the criteria met on a daily basis by the group’s teams to meet the requirements of those certifications.

Judaism and Islam perceive a close link between spirituality and what their followers consume. The Torah and the Quran each list a number of impure foods, additives and beverages and provide ritual recommendations for consuming the authorized foods.

In order to comply with these requirements, the sugars produced by Terra have been certified kosher for more than 15 years and halal since 2012. Since then, Terra has been complying with strict specifications for its production.

Thus, different specific procedures have been implemented. Here are some of them:

  • A rigorous and systematic cleaning and disinfection program
  • A HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) study to identify and minimize the risks of contamination
  • The use of equipment for the separation and the detection of foreign bodies (such as magnets or metals)
  • Strict collaboration with approved suppliers
  • Conducting internal audits to ensure the optimization of established procedures
  • The analysis of sugar samples to eradicate any risk of physical, chemical or biological contamination
  • Ingredients banned by the standards, such as bio-mineral bone charcoal for clarification, are prohibited.

Furthermore, the group strives to demonstrate through regular audits that sugar is produced under optimal hygienic conditions and with minimal risk of contamination. No ingredients banned by either of these two religions are used.

Suite au naufrage du Wakashio, la population mauricienne a su faire preuve d’une grande réactivité pour lutter contre la menace sans précédent de marée noire sur les côtes sud-est de l’île. Adish Sewlall, QSE Coordinator, et Laila Neuhausser, responsable des opérations de la paille chez Terragen, reviennent sur les jours qui ont suivi cette catastrophe et les élans de solidarité et d’entraide qui en sont nés.

« Tout s’est passé très rapidement », se souvient Laila. Le vendredi 7 août, au lendemain des premières fuites d’huile déclarées, les compagnies sucrières sont sur le pied de guerre pour apporter leur aide au pays en mettant à disposition de la paille de canne à sucre. Celle-ci, comme nous le savons, a permis la conception d’une trentaine de kilomètres de boudins absorbants, dont 10km produits à Beau Plan – lesquels ont été répartis le long des côtes touchées pour tenter de contenir l’huile et limiter les dégâts.

« Dans la précipitation dans laquelle nous nous trouvions, cette gestion artisanale de la crise a été une bonne initiative, partage Adish. Nous nous sommes concertés avec Alteo Limited et Omnicane pour voir comment travailler main dans la main, savoir où livrer la paille et en quelle quantité ». C’est ainsi que petit à petit, les opérations se sont mises en place pour permettre aux volontaires de travailler et apporter leur aide à leur pays.

Du côté de Terragen, une totale réactivité des équipes s’est avérée nécessaire pour répondre aux besoins des ateliers de production. « Nous avons revu notre mode opératoire afin de pouvoir livrer la paille nécessaire au plus vite sur le site du Creative Park de Beau Plan. Nous avons fait en sorte de livrer des ballots moins compacts que ceux produits habituellement, de façon à ce que les volontaires puissent remplir les boudins plus facilement. Toute l’équipe s’est mobilisée et nous avons pu livrer 70 ballots pour les besoins de confection, soit 30 tonnes de paille », analyse Laila.

Si le pire a pu être évité, les dommages causés n’en restent pas moins considérables à ce jour. Alors que nous ne pouvons que constater, impuissants, les lourds dommages subis par la faune marine depuis quelques jours, il est de notre devoir à tous de continuer de suivre l’évolution de la situation et, autant que possible, apporter notre aide aux organisations en charge de la gestion de la marée noire. « Il faut continuer de nettoyer. C’est un travail extrêmement minutieux qui demande une expertise poussée, et n’est certes pas à la portée de tous. Mais il y a des solutions », avance Laila. Et de conclure : « Chez Terragen, nous sommes prêts à apporter notre aide autant que possible et nous tenons à la disposition des experts ».

Dans ce tableau noir, une note positive reste malgré tout ancrée dans les esprits : face à l’adversité, le peuple mauricien a su faire preuve d’une solidarité au-delà de toute espérance – aussi bien les citoyens que les résidents et le secteur privé. Un engagement qui restera longtemps gravé dans les mémoires.