Responsible Luxury: How Newmark Properties Celebrates the Festive Season with Purpose

Newmark Hotels & Reserves is pleased to share that Terrarium Restaurant, located at the Queen Victoria Hotel, has been recognised in the 2026 JHP Gourmet Guide™ Awards. This acknowledgement reflects the restaurant’s continued commitment to responsible sourcing, thoughtful craftsmanship, and refined seasonal dining.

Guests are invited to experience this philosophy through a festive menu rooted in responsible luxury, while those seeking a year-end escape can discover the same values in nature at Qwabi Private Game Reserve and Motswari Private Game Reserve, where sustainability and elevated safari experiences go hand in hand.

One Philosophy, Two Awards

Terrarium Chef Patron Chris Erasmus and Head Chef Anlou Erasmus accepted both the One Plate award for excellent cuisine and the WWF-SASSI Green Philosophy Award for responsible, sustainable practice at the 2026 JHP Gourmet Guide™ Awards. It was a real honour, since the dual award acknowledged their work in combining sustainable practices with creative culinary endeavours.

Chris Erasmus grew up in a food-loving home in the Karoo, where meals were always made from scratch. He has brought this farm-to-plate philosophy to Terrarium.

Some of his suppliers include Smoked by Buys, run by Marvyn Buys, who has a passion for working ethically with meat, and a local pottery studio that supplies the plates from which guests can enjoy their mindfully prepared meals. All fresh produce is foraged from the hotel gardens or surrounding farms, and the wines are selected by sommelier Marlvin Gwese.

What to Try on the Terrarium Festive Season Menu

With chefs like these, guests dining at Terrarium can look forward to guilt-free indulgence over the festive season in an elegant setting complete with fine art and music.

The Christmas menu includes slow-roasted lamb shoulder dumpling, crown-roasted free-range chicken and fresh vegetables like spiced butternut puree and textures of cauliflower.

Motswari Private Game Reserve

Motswari means “to conserve and protect” in Tswana. Founder Paul Gierger was known to say, “At Motswari, you arrive as a visitor and leave as a friend.”

Now run by his daughter, the camp is dedicated to protecting both its wildlife and the local community. Handcrafted items are displayed in every room, and some staff are third-generation family members who have been part of the Motswari story for years.

Sustainability is at the core, even in building practices: the Modjadji Master Suite is built by hand, using local stone and thatch collected by the team. Right down to its hand-carved doors and involvement in Rhino Disharmony, which uses art to solve rhino poaching, Motswari is as soulful as it is luxurious.

Qwabi Private Game Reserve

Just a few hours away from Johannesburg, Qwabi Private Game Reserve is a fitting destination for anyone wanting a mindful end to the year in a luxurious, peaceful setting where magnificent, rare wildlife conservation is front and centre.

The land where the reserve now stands was set to become a golf course, but in a twist of fate, it was sold and is now a haven for endangered species. Qwabi is actively involved in vital conservation work, focusing on:

• The Southern Ground Hornbill: Working with projects in the region, Qwabi provides a safe and protected environment for this endangered bird, known locally as the 'thunder bird,' helping to rear and release chicks to boost the struggling wild population.
• Black Rhino Conservation: As part of their commitment to safeguarding Africa’s rarest species, the reserve has recently introduced the critically endangered Black Rhino to the Waterberg savannah, a now protected, anti-poaching environment for long-term survival.

Make your booking with Newmark Hotels & Reserves to celebrate the festive seasons with responsible luxury in our premium destinations.

Q: Which two awards did the Terrarium restaurant receive at the JHP Gourmet Guide™ Awards?

A: Terrarium received both the One Plate award for excellent cuisine and the WWF-SASSI Green Philosophy Award for responsible, sustainable practice.

Q: What does the name Motswari mean in the Tswana language?

A: The name Motswari means "to conserve and protect" in Tswana.

Q: What was the original plan for the land where the Qwabi Private Game Reserve now stands?

A: The land where the Qwabi Private Game Reserve now stands was originally set to become a golf course.