Italian Food, Wine & Music Pairing at Feastival
When I was asked to do another restaurant pop-up at Feastival, I was hesitant. I never started a restaurant because I think it would take the fun out of it for me. But something niggled at me. I do really enjoy the challenge of designing a menu, and love cooking in front of people and sharing my passion about food and the stories behind it. I enjoy collaborating with proudly South African small businesses, who are just as passionate about “food as a craft” as I am.
And when my wife asked me “will it bring you joy?”, and I knew the answer to that question was “yes” the decision was made.
LED Lighting SA hosts MasterChef vs Mayor cook-off to raise funds for Charity
As serial entrepreneur and CEO of LED Lighting SA, I like to use the skills learned and connections made through MasterChef for good cause.
When LLSA’s Social Committee organised a braai at the SA Children’s Home in Gardens, South Africa, a little boy ran up to me and grabbed my leg, saying “this is the best day of my life”. This made me want to do more. Because if a little boy’s experienced “the best day of his life” when we made him and his friends some boerewors rolls, what more could we do?
The Chefs' Collective Pop-Up at Makers Landing
Less than a month after winning MasterChef SA, I opened a pop-up restaurant together with Chefs Darren Badenhorst and Callan Austin at Makers Landing, the V&A Waterfront. Having made it through many MasterChef challenges, dreaming up a fine dining menu and then executing MasterChef quality (fine dining) dishes to twenty-four guests simultaneously was a new challenge altogether.
