A Table in the Corner

Errieda du Toit is my absolute best! She is a bottomless mine of food knowledge who approaches cooking and culinary culture with a breathtaking passion. Our conversation meandered over many topics including her work as a content producer for some of South Africa's favourite television cooking shows. It's a cracker, and so rich we had to break it into two episodes. I loved talking to her...

An absolutely enthralling conversation with Iming Lin on an oft-forgotten aspect of the restaurant trade - where the food comes from. Iming is a grower of interesting and unusual food plants which she supplies to local restaurants from her little 'farm' on the edge of Hout Bay. With a background growing for Ban Barber's Blue Hills restaurant at Stone Barns in New York State, Iming i...

The name Gillian Key often pops up in the comments section of local social media food groups, with informed views on the restaurant scene. I remembered a conversation I had with her some time back about running franchise restaurants, and thought I'd quiz her about the Mozambik restaurant she runs with husband Richard and her experience and thoughts around running eateries. We spoke for hours,...

We're going very local in this episode and interviewing Chef Steve Duke, the creator behind No Fixed Address and a Japanese-style  fried chicken he serves on noodles to rapturous applause by Muizenberg locals. His market staple dish and the canapé-based catering business he runs made for an engrossing conversation. I bumped into him shopping at a local grocery market, and we recorded our chat...

Hein van Tonder is an international award-winning food photographer who began his creative journey by starting a food blog. I've known him since the very beginning of Heinstirred and have been privileged to watch an incredible  talent emerge. We chatted about his path, the breaks and the images along the way as well as his new foray into ceramics. Heinstirred Hein's blog about this episo...

Jenna Short is a pastry chef of no mean skill who has created a sumptuous chocolate business that is a complete delight. With her little team in their Woodstock factory, she produces the most beautiful chocolate bonbons and slabs which stretch both indulgence and creativity, taking the craft to new heights. We chatted about chocolate and some of her background as a chef, but mostly about the pain...

Photographer, food stylist, recipe developer, writer, videographer, digital maven - there is no end to the things Sam Linsell has mastered and continues to learn in the food universe she has created with Drizzle and Dip. It's my favourite food blog and I've known Sam long enough to remember her early forays into food photography.  It's been a joy to watch the growth and success and...

In the second instalment of my conversation with Chef Franck Dangereux, we’ve moved beyond La Colombe to discuss the creation of The Foodbarn in Noordhoek. We talk about running a restaurant, pleasing customers and reflect on who Chef Franck believes is 'killing it' in local kitchens, taking Cape Town’s culinary scene to new heights. The Foodbarn - Noordhoek www.rwm2012.com On Instagram...

Chef Franck lives quietly in Noordhoek, surfing whenever the waves look good, walking the dogs on the beach and enjoying a simple life dedicated to family, friends and horses. Few around him realise (and he definitely wouldn’t mention it unless you asked) that the chef/owner of The Foodbarn was behind the launch of La Colombe, the restaurant that propelled Cape Town fine dining into the hearts and...

Wynand van Rooyen was the youngest ever Sunday Times Chef of the Year back in 2011. He was a stalwart in the kitchen at the Mount Nelson and went on to come a close second in a legendary season of Ultimate Braai Master with his wife and fellow chef, Kirby. I've known him for years and really enjoy his easy, relaxed style. We chatted about running restaurants (he owned Woodlands Grill for a bi...

Darryl Burger is a caterer with a fiercely loyal following. After 12 years of running 'The Field Kitchen', he is still excited by the challenges of producing inventive menus that bring joy - whether at weddings or on photo shoots. He's an inveterate foodie who's one of my go-to humans when I need to know something about ingredients or wines. It's also worth making friends...

Incredibly knowledgeable about Western Cape wines, a source of endless outstanding suggestions for great table wines and all-round excellent fellow Clark Truter is my guest on episode 21 . We chatted about movement in the industry, restaurant wine lists and where to begin to educate your palate if you're interested in wine. It was a fun time with my favourite wine ou. www.rwm2012.com On Insta...

Michelle Nelson is perfectly happy with her job running a studio in a bustling Cape Town branding agency. It suits her just fine. Yet she constantly has friends and family who love her cooking asking why she doesn't start another restaurant. Michelle has been there, done that. She's worked as a caterer on movie sets and run her own little suburban cafe. We chatted about burning out in th...

Ben Bettendorf grew up in the restaurant trade. He went from working in his father's restaurants to cooking in some top local kitchens, and now runs one of the most popular sushi restaurants in Cape Town with his partner 'Papa San'. A life in front-of-house and kitchens has given him a rare insight into the delights (and the eye-rolls) of dealing with customers, and plenty of grist...

www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

Chef Peter Ayub has been teaching cooking as a trade to young chefs in Cape Town for over a decade. Along with his wife Debs, he runs the Sense of Taste Cooking School in Maitland and it turns out capable and confident young chefs, many of whom I've encountered in kitchens during my career as a food writer and photographer. In the aftermath of Covid, they opened a little 40 seater restaurant...

Cheyne Morrisby has been a popular figure on the Cape Town dining scene for some time with his take on modern Asian cuisine. Cheyne's and Lucky Bao are an institution in Hout Bay and his other openings, like Mexicola and Himitsu have struck a note with diners from the City Bowl to Camps Bay. We talk about his journey - the ups and downs, the pressures and the joys of the 'game', and...

Pastry chef Simba Choto tried to go out on his own, baking to order from home, before Covid. 2019 was a tough year, but it finished on a high note with a summer season baking at a resort in Bazaruto. He came back from that gig and was plunged into lockdown. Interestingly enough, that's when his business actually took off - with the help of social media, and a community of fans of his baked go...

Clayton Bell is the owner of Empire Cafe in Muizenberg, a bustling little 'local' which is one of my favourite breakfast spots. With a pedigree as the former exec chef at iconic Cape Town restaurants he brings a wealth of hard-won experience to running his own place. We chatted about the shift of pace and scale from running a big corporate restaurant to operating his own 50 seater in a s...

An old friend from the photography life, Fernando recently opened a coffee business at the Franschhoek Market in the Winelands. Even though he's a freshly minted operator, his precise nature and the journey he embarked on to create Bare Kofu provided an illuminating glimpse of the coffee game and an entertaining chat. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by C...

Pam McOnie is a priceless asset to the  food 'scene' in Cape Town. She created the first food tours in Cape Town City, and when restaurants and other businesses were in free fall during lockdown, she started a Facebook group that became a beacon of hope for the eateries and foodies of the region. I love chatting to her at any time and she's the first person I call if I need to know...

Günter Boisits is the co-owner of my favourite bar in Cape Town - The Drinkery. He's a highly skilled and very experienced operator in the hospitality space. We always have lively discussions about the industry. In this interview, I chatted to him about cocktails, sandwiches, service and the many other things that fascinate us both. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover imag...

Brendon and Leigh Thorncroft are the owner/chef/host team at The Table at De Meye in the Stellenbosch Winelands. I chatted to them on a beautiful spring day about running a set menu restaurant and sourcing as sustainably and locally as volumes will allow. Always such a pleasure to spend time with these two. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Law...

Philip Myburgh is a wine farmer with deep roots in the Stellenbosch region of the Western Cape Winelands. Once, long ago I opened a restaurant under the trees on his beautiful property with my wife. It's been a while, but Phil and I used to have fabulous chats about the business of farming and wine and the necessity of 'sweating your assets' when you're a land-owner. I thought...

Emma-Claire peter is both a wanderer and a wonderer in the realm of all things food. We've encountered each other often on our journeys. We first worked together when she was getting into food-styling, and we've crossed paths through magazines and other publications, and when she's been organising food events or curating food collections for retail ranges. Emma-Claire is always doin...