The Future of Luxury in Dining: How Joburg’s Culinary Experts are Reimagining Decadence

As July came to a close, thousands flocked to the Sandton Convention Centre for Decorex Joburg, the definitive showcase of all things contemporary design on the African continent. Among showcases of extraordinary innovations in design, various visionaries and pioneers in everything from design to decor and dining shared their unique insights at the informative FutureTalks.

Lerato Botha joined an intimate conversation between Partner and Executive Creative Director of GRID Worldwide, Paul Hinch; Executive Creative Director & Partner at GRID Worldwide, Jineil Kandasamy; and chef and Founding Partner of Marble Hospitality, David Higgs to unpack their vision for capturing luxury through culinary encounters:

Luxury in dining Marble | What's on in Joburg

A new approach to luxury in the culinary scene

In a FutureTalk titled ‘Beyond Status, The New Luxury and The Luxurious Marble Circus’, Partner and Executive Creative Director of GRID Worldwide, Paul Hinch; Executive Creative Director & Partner at GRID Worldwide, Jineil Kandasamy; and chef and Founding Partner of Marble Hospitality, David Higgs shared some critical expertise in the world of luxury, how they’ve redefined luxury in dining and the significance of experiential events through a uniquely South African lens.

Speaking to Marble as a brand, David referred to Marble Hospitality and the way guests experience its luxury as something that touches on everything, being warm and welcoming while simultaneously maintaining the raw chaos and passion of the kitchen. What you receive is an honest meal, comfortable and hearty, but wrapped in the essence of sumptuousness.

This new luxury, Jineil adds, is less about the cost and more about the feeling it evokes. It is elevation without being too overt, with the focus being flavour and fullness, offers Paul.

Luxury in dining Luxurious Marble Circus | What's on in Joburg

The Luxurious Marble Circus

Nothing better embodies this new luxury than the ever-popular Luxurious Marble Circus (LMC).

David explained that Operations Director and Founding Partner of Marble Hospitality, Dino Constantinou, who himself has a background in events organisation, was at the forefront of the creation of LMC. The circus experience was bred out of a desire to push the brand to its limits, and this is where the advertising expertise of GRID Worldwide came into play.

With a belief in bringing meaning and longevity to an experience, GRID consider themselves a “make it mean something” company, says Jineil. So, building an experience that resonates with various demographics of South Africans is what they wanted to create in collaboration with Marble Hospitality.

Filling the gap for experiential luxury

With LMC, they are filling a gap in festival culture where the food is not an afterthought but another component that is just as significant as the music, the activations, the activities and the off-stage entertainment, becoming a “one-stop destination experience”, highlights Paul. It is an experience for each of the senses, from incredible sights to your favourite sounds and flavours, all expertly curated.

And though luxurious in its essence, almost 80% of the entire experience is accessible to every tier of ticketholder.