Barcode's involvement at the festival was immediately evident to visitors in the form of elegant bar infrastructure throughout the grounds. These included three of the four star shade marquees - luxury stands exclusive to the Taste festival and a double corner stand juice bar. From these centres, Barcode operated Meridian's fine wine offerings, the Taste Clubhouse hospitality bar, the Sir Juice bar and the Barcode cocktail bar, each branded accordingly. Barcode's participation was visually impressive, but true to the spirit of the show the real effect was in the taste.
Ryan Duvenage and Gareth Wainwright - two of Barcode's top cocktail bartenders and training instructors - were flown in from Durban and Johannesburg to assist in the creation of over 2500 cocktails served over the course of the festival. Keeping in line with the philosophy that took Ryan to seventh in the world at the recent IBA World Cocktail Competition in Berlin, the cocktails were classically elegant with subtle twists.
Apart from a candle-lit 60 minutes during Earth Hour on Saturday night, stands operated by Barcode Bar Services provided constant focus points of music, energy and sophisticated taste that will linger in over 14 000 visitor's minds for some time.
