My Story

Food creates memories, and every time I prepare a meal for my family I am transported back to Sunday lunches at the Nel’s. My dad would prepare a feast and lay it out on the dining room table like a buffet. Mom helped of course, but I think it mostly involved tasting rather than cooking.

High school is where I decided to become a chef.  Instead of doing homework after school I would watch my favourite cooking shows, get inspired and then hit the kitchen to try and copy the recipes. Good thing dad always kept a well stocked kitchen. My weekends was spent working in a local Seven Eleven bakery. This is where my love affair with bread started.

In 1999 I enrolled for the City & Guilds programme in culinary arts at Tygerberg college. This is where my journey to becoming a chef started and what a roller coaster it has been. I graduated in 2001 and worked at many places around South Africa before finally settling at a family run Italian restaurant in the heart of Newlands, Cape Town.

My cooking style is what I like to call “backwards in time”. Technology has changed the way chefs cook and opened the flood gates for innovation in our industry. I however find myself inspired by the classics, always looking for the next old cook book to read. Follow my blog to learn more about South African venues and great places to eat. Also feel free to browse my recipes.