The Durban July wasn’t all about horses and fashion this past weekend, the cool kids went in for a full experience and the lucky ones got invited to the coolest pre and after parties. To officially kick off the Durban July weekend, Celebrities and some special media personalities experienced a star-studded dinner under the Durban stars at the Swanky Coastlands Hotel in Durban.

Executive Chef Cleo Govender pulled all stops and created a mouth watering three-course meal and it delivered to the expectation of his celebrity guest list. Popular Mzansi faces who attended the dinner included television personalities Nomzamo Mbatha, Jessica Nkosi, Lala Hirayama, Dineo Moeketsi, Maps Maponyane, Mampho Brescia, Terry Pheto, Kay Sibiya

and Cyprian Ndlovu. The three course meal consisted of a fabulous starter of Smoked Chicken Waldorf with mixed garden greens served with grapefruit segments and a vegetarian fashion sandwich with honey yoghurt.

The mouth watering main course consisted of an option between a Karoo rack of lamb served with pesto mash, sautéed seasonal vegetables and a rich citrus thyme jus and a grana padana biscuit or Pan seared catch of the day served on chateaux potato with butternut puree and salsa verde topped with black tigers.

The dinner was rounded off with a decadent Trio of desserts including white chocolate cheesecake, caramel mouse, But the weekend’s best party was the JD Boomtown. The lineup was insane with artists like Zakes Bantwini, Uhuru, Aka, Da Les and Khuli Chana.