Cathy and Peter Hall
Cathy and Peter with dashing dachshunds
2 old goats from the corporate world, we emigrated to the KwaZulu Natal Midlands from Johannesburg in November 2003. Cathy had been an Economist and Corporate banker and Peter had been an IT Consultant (mainframe software).
We found an old house with a gorgeous garden on the Caversham Road and decided to open a restaurant, why not ?? And so we set about drawing up building plans and organising licences. We employed a builder to make major changes. We tore out our hair for months until we asked the builder the only really relevant question – “the 8 weeks that you have quoted, are they 8 contiguous weeks or 8 weeks taken at random during the next year ?”
And then it was down to the business plan, that’s what happens when you marry an economist, it must be precise. We decided on our target market, the dishes we felt would work, the many spreadsheets to keep strict control over costs, our marketing plans and, of course, the wine list which involved much tasting, well it would wouldn’t it. We finally opened our doors in December 2004.
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The restaurant has featured during the past couple of years in Eatout Magazine, Dine where to eat, Midlands Life, Woman and Home, Avocado Magazine, Sunday Tribune, Mercury Eatingout guide, Country Life Magazine, Rossouws Restaurants, Wine Magazine and in the BA, Kulula and Mango in-flight magazines. A big thank you to all the reviewers.
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Why Cooking Bear ? It’s complicated. It’s all written up in our menu so you’ll have to visit to get the whole story.
Cathy cooks, well actually Cathy plans the menus (with a little help from Peter) and does the shopping and the preparation and the cooking and all the while contrives to look serene. Cathy keeps her figure by tasting with a tea-spoon while Peter tastes with a ladle.
Peter can’t cook, so he swans around the front of house and does the book-keeping (ridiculously complicated spreadsheets) and the marketing (bulk emails and website). He also writes a little – Parrots, Witches and Call Centres.
New Website/Blog – launched at the beginning of June 2011 called www.raski.co.za dedicated to all those who are Retired And Spending the Kid’s Inheritance.