Profile

Culinary guru, LANNICE SNYMAN, is one of South Africa's most experienced and well-respected food personalities. She's an award-winning author and publisher, consultant, stylist, freelance journalist, restaurant critic and internationally-accredited barbecue judge.

She has Honorary Grand Diplomas from Silwood Kitchen Cordon Bleus School and the Culinary Art Institute of Africa (CAIA). In 1997 she received the coveted Galliova Award for the Best Foodwriter in the country for her work as Cookery Editor of the Sunday Times, a position she held for ten years.

Lannice has written thirteen cookery books (number fourteen is underway!), and has contributed to many more. Her first book with co-author Anne Klarie, FREE FROM THE SEA was launched in 1979 (by Don Nelson Publishers), and is still selling well after going into twelve reprints and being rewritten and re-photographed in 1994. BRAAI IN STYLE, launched in 1983, has been reprinted eight times, and was revamped in 1993. Both these titles have sold well in excess of 100 000 copies, making them amongst the most successful cookbooks in the country.

Self-publishing was a natural next step to writing books, and Lannice launched her own company in 1995 in partnership with photographer Andrzej Sawa. S&S PUBLISHERS produced three books, REFLECTIONS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN TABLE (1995), RAINBOW CUISINE (1998) and GOURMET HIDEAWAYS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (2000). All three were selected as being amongst the best books in the country in Exclusive Books' Publishers Choice listings.

In 1999 ONE HUNDRED WINES (an insiders' guide to South African wines) by Allan Mullins and Dave Swingler hit the shelves.

In 2001 Lannice renamed her company LANNICE SNYMAN PUBLISHERS to expand her publishing portfolio, producing mainstream cookbooks as well as venturing into Contract Publishing for a broader commercial market including hotels and restaurants (REFLECTIONS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN TABLE and GOURMET HIDEAWAYS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA both feature top African destinations).

In 2001 the company published HOME BAKES and TUIS GEBAK by author Carolie de Koster, sponsored by Tiger Milling. Due to intense interest in the book, and the fact that it was effectively geared to its target market, 33 000 copies were printed, most of which were advance orders. In 2003 COOKING WITH CANNED PILCHARDS was produced for Oceana Brands as well as for sale through bookshops. 2004 will see the launch of three new titles, FRESH & HEALTHY – Step-by-Step to Life by Annette Kesler, KITCHEN COWBOYS by Peter Goffee-Wood and a new book by Lannice herself.

Family business