He's been on my list of people to chat to since the very first show, but I finally got to sit down with Bertus Basson for a conversation that was totally not kak. We first met when I shot a portrait of a young chef who was shaking up the restaurant scene in Cape Town back in 2008. We've known each other 16 years and he is a friend I respect and admire even though we don't see each other much because he has a family, seven restaurants, a catering company, a pig and a bunch of dogs. We spoke ab...

This fascinating chat with charcutier Richard Bosman was prompted by an article about a dish he created for a story by Tony Jackman in Daily Maverick. I've known Richard for a while and always admired his artisanal charcuterie business, but reading the story reminded me that he'd be a great person to chat to on the show. While much of the discussion is about a traditional food craft, running a food business and Richard's background and business journey, we do touch on the source of vari...

After a banging season, I got a chance to sit down again with Jason Kosmas of Pot Luck Club. In our ‘post-season’ chat, we spoke about the suppliers, the team and the planning that got him through the 2023/2024 Summer at both the Biscuit Mill site and PLC Johannesburg. Reflections on the economic impacts of running restaurants are part of the conversation in this second bite at the apple talking to a chef at the top of his game.Pot Luck Club, Cape Town On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover...

Cocktail Bar culture has a firm grip on the Cape Town hospitality scene. It's uncharted territory for many. But if you have a seasoned bartender like Courtney Cara Lawson to help identify what to order and where to go - what's a good cocktail venue and what's merely a bar - you can navigate your way to a fine evening out. I sat down for a chat with a dear friend, and learned a lot about a trend which has people eschewing alcohol-forward, bitter classics like the negroni and choosing the caref...

Jason Bakery has a bit of a cult following in the Mother City. Jason Lilley been the baker of choice for a generation of Capetonians - from his hole-in-the-wall bakery on Bree Street, laminating croissants by hand, to his current home in Green Point, with all the gear he needs to run a modern bakery/restaurant. I chatted to him about putting his name on the door and building an intensely personal and successful brand. It's all about his obsession with bread and pastry, his quirky sense of...

Kiara Scott-Farmer became the head winemaker at Brookdale Estate near Paarl at the tender age of 26. Since then she has made an impression on the industry and a number of 'wine ous' whose palates I respect. Her journey from Mitchell's Plain to this gorgeous property set against the mountains overlooking Paarl is a fascinating one. We sat down for a chat with a view over the vineyards, and spoke about her wines, particularly the Mason Road Serendipity which is now my favourite rosé. Brookdale...

Originally conceived as a community-building project to help create a safer neighbourhood, Oranjezicht City Farm became a model and a springboard for urban and sustainable farming projects in Cape Town and beyond. Under the guidance of Sheryl Ozinsky and her partner Caz Friedman, it also sprouted a few stalls which has gone on to become a wildly popular, world-class food market that welcomes as many as 15,000 visitors a week in season. In this episode we chat about the origins, the growth and...

Co-founder and former owner of Darling Brew, Kevin Wood sat down to chat with me about how his brewing journey started. It's a canned history of the early days of the craft beer industry that he navigated with his wife and co-founder Philippa Wood. Darling Brew shot to prominence in the industry back when men were men and beer was nervous. He left the game in the tumult of Covid, and now runs a smokehouse and adventure centre called 'Living Colour' outside his home town of Darling in the...

Abena Danquah has joined a growing offering of African food stalls at the Neighbourgoods Food Market at the Biscuit Mill in Salt River. On the strength of her success, selling delicious Ghanaian street food, she opened her restaurant 'Ghana Jollof' in Main Road in Woodstock in December 2023, and it's pumping. We sat down to chat about her journey, the popularity of jollof, and the growth of African food outlets in the city. The traffic noise of a busy city road intruded a little into the...

Emma Wilson has beed a food stylist for a while. I first met her when she assisted the gifted stylist Lisa Clark, back in my days as a food photographer. We laughed our way through some reminiscences and a chat about food styling as a career, how she got started and how she would go about it if she was starting out today. The interview went by in a flash and at some stage I think we need to talk some more about the business end of styling and how food has become such force within the...

Six Dogs is an iconic South African gin brand produced on a small farm that straddles the Karoo and Cape Floral biomes in the Western Cape. On this episode, I chat to Charles Bryant the founder and creative engine behind the distillery which produces gins that are as at home on the shelves of Cape Town's finest bars as they are in drinkeries in 30 countries around the  world. From the dream to the working still and future plans, it was an engrossing conversation. Six Dogs Distillery On...

I sat down with Luke Dale Roberts at Salon Restaurant in The Biscuit Mill and we spoke of many things. His creative drive is enormous, and the desire to explore his craft through an eclectic range of cooking techniques and styles is strong with him. It was an effortless chat with one of the greats in our restaurant universe that touched on The Test Kitchen, Fledgelings, Pot Luck Club and the evolution of Salon. A cracker of a conversation. Salon  On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover...

Production company owner Dale Kushner has brought authentic birria tacos to Cape Town from his seasonal home in Los Angeles.  Bigga D's food truck is kind of a side hustle that started in lockdown when the film industry shut down. Dale needed something to do, he loves cooking and was missing his favourite LA street food. We sat down to talk about food trucks and authentic flavours, and I got my taco fix for the week. On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara...

In the second episode of our chat, Errieda du Toit introduces me to her new-found obsession with live-fire cooking.  Kokkedoor Vuur en Vlam was born out of her love of gathering people around a fire and feeding them. Even though we jabbered enough to fill two episodes, there is no doubt I will be going back for more some time soon. Errieda's Instagram On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise...

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 and completely adore this fireball of a human. Errieda's Instagram On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner...

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 is incredibly knowledgable about contemporary, sustainable market gardening, and what it means to grow beautiful...

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, but I managed to edit our chat down to a nuggety half hour. I have no doubt we will spend many more...

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 at a bit of a noisy spot near his dark kitchen in Cape Town's Southern Suburbs. (There's a bit of a...

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 episode On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits...

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 and joy of starting a little business in the food space. Short & Sweet Profile image courtesy...

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 I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Sam to find out where it started and where her digital food journey will...

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 On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless...

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 award ceremonies of the culinary world. This is Episode 1 of my chat with Chef Franck...

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 bit), pop-ups, private cheffing and his dream of opening a restaurant called 'The Flying Boar'. On...