Eat Out 500 panel announced

"This is truly a first, a coming together of industry experts and some of SA's most respected food journalists and food lovers to decide who will be named as part of Eat Out's top 500 restaurants in the country," said Anelde Greeff, editor-in-chief of Eat Out.

The members of the panel are:

• Aletta Lintvelt: food editor, Weg! and Go! Magazines;
• Alida Ryder: author, Simply Delicious;
• Anelde Greeff: editor-in-chief, Eat Out;
• Anna Montali: freelance food editor and writer;
• Bernadette le Roux: editor, Condé Nast House and Garden Gourmet;
• Bianca Coleman: freelance journalist;
• Brent Meersman: food columnist, Mail & Guardian;
• Bridget McCarney: MD, New Media;
• Carianne Silwood: vice-principal, Silwood Cookery School;
• Cathy Marston: freelance writer and wine educator;
• Charlotte Pregnolato: freelance writer;
• Coenie Visser: freelance writer;
• Colette du Plessis: freelance writer;
• Corneil Muller: operational director, Urban Hotels;
• Diane de Beer: journalist, Pretoria News;
• Erwin Schnitzler: owner, Mont Rochelle;
• Graham Howe: wine and food editor, Habitat;
• Greg Landman: freelance writer;
• Gwynne Conlyn: freelance food and travel writer;
• Hennie Fisher: culinary arts lecturer, University of Pretoria;
• Herman Lensing: food editor, Sarie;
• Horst Frehse: GM,Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa;
• Irna van Zyl: founder and executive director, New Media;
• Ishay Govender: freelance writer and recipe developer;
• Jacquie Myburgh: freelance journalist and media consultant;
• Jane Broughton: freelance writer;
• Janine Walker: freelance food critic and writer;
• Jeanne Callitz: deputy editor, My Tyd;
• John Psillos: founder and executive director, New Media;
• Josef Talotta: freelance writer;
• Kate Wilson: editor, Women's Health;
• Kate Ziervogel: owner, South Coast Live;
• Katharine Jacobs: online editor, Eat Out;
• Kristia van Heerden: Johannesburg correspondent, Eat Out;
• Leila Saffarian: freelance food editor and writer;
• Linda Scarborough: copy editor, Eat Out;
• Lisa van Aswegen: freelance editor and writer;
• Marie-Lais Emond: freelance editor and writer;
• Miguel Chan: group sommelier, Tsogo Sun;
• Paul Duncan: head of design for homeware, Woolworths;
• Petro Lotz: owner, Appetito Catering and Cooking School;
• Priscilla Urquhart: PR and media manager, World Design Capital Cape Town 2014;
• Raphaella Frame-Tolmie: food editor and features writer, House and Leisure;
• Reinette Geldenhuis: Woolworths marketing: MasterChef project, hospitality, event and sponsorship manager and TASTE;
• Richard Holmes: freelance food and travel writer;
• Rupesh Kassen: freelance writer;
• Sam Woulidge: freelance writer and columnist for Woolworths TASTE;
• Sdu Gerasch: freelance writer;
• Stefania Johnson: creative strategist; and
• Tracy Gielink: freelance food and wine writer.

The panellists recently completed the process of rating restaurants that they had visited over the last 12 months on a variety of criteria, including food (menu composition, seasonality, presentation and wine), service and ambience.

The Eat Out 500 is a power list of great restaurants across South Africa. The 500 restaurants with the highest aggregate scores will appear in the 16th annual issue of Eat Out magazine. This revamped 2014 issue will be launched at the Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards in Cape Town on 10 November.

For more information, go to www.eatout.co.za or email az.oc.tuotae@ofni. For more updates, like Eat Out on Facebook www.facebook.com/EatOutMag and follow @eat_out on Twitter.