Overstrand Hermanus is situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa, about 100 km from Cape Town. With a population of 1,02,024, the city is part of the Overstrand region and is mostly commonly known for its exceptional whale watching opportunities. 

As well as being considered as the most scenic drive in the world, Overstrand Hermanus is an up and coming player in the wine industry, with the Hermanus Wine Route renowned for being the Pinot Noir haven of Hemel en Aarde Valley. Owing to this success, Overstrand Hermanus now hosts an annual Pinot Noir week, organized by the Hemel en Aarde Wine Association. This international celebration of wine invites experts from all over the world to taste, rate and enjoy local products. As well as celebrating regional wine, the city also organizes the ten-day annual FynArts Festival, of which a sizeable portion of the programme is devoted to promoting gastronomic arts.

The city uses its wine and food tourism industry as economic drivers for addressing the social-economic development challenges being currently faced. Various organization and government schemes, such as the Food Bank Project, have been setup to address these social problems by encouraging the communities to work in a more cohesive way. With support from both supermarkets and restaurants, this project aims to develop people’s understanding of food security through education, technology and food gardens, as well as promoting foraging within the local communities. By inspiring people to engage with the local gastronomic sector and ingredients, the city hopes to nurture young and aspiring chefs and other talent in this creative field.