Leaving my beautiful home country of South Africa in 2001, I set out for the UK to complete my chef apprenticeship.  After being classically British trained at world famous ‘The Goring Hotel’ in London, I moved to the French Alps to run a luxury private ski chalet. Some of my fondest memories stem from my time in the Alps discovering the delectable French cuisine. The opportunity to see how the diverse cheeses of France are made, to learn the different cuts and preparation techniques of locally-sourced meat and to experience many of the regions fine wines solidified my zest for food. 


Having a passion for cooking is a blessing and the hard work, sweat and even tears are most rewarding when people around me share the sheer enjoyment of my food. Another reward of the work is the ability to take your skills and apply them anywhere in the world, allowing one to travel and still do what you love every day. I have been fortunate enough to live and work in England, Tanzania’s Serengeti, France, New Zealand, and Germany and for the last year on a 60m private yacht travelling the seas of the Mediterranean and Thailand. 

I am a firm believer in ‘do not judge until you have tried’ and so try to immerse myself in the experiences each culture has to offer. I believe the opportunity to live and work side by side with the locals allows me to enhance my appreciation for a culture and its food. Indeed, one of my best parts of working as a chef round the world in so many different environments has been the people I have met and interacted with on a day-to-day basis.

The need to eat food is a necessity, but the opportunity to enjoy it is a treat. I think it is extremely important in today’s society to always question what we put in our bodies. That’s why as a chef I try to source only the finest ingredients and freshest produce and really connect with where it all has come from.  Food is a way for me to express my inner self, creatively and visually. When I cook I am always well organised, clean and most of all give attention to detail. 

Using my experiences as inspiration, I marry elements of ambiance, flavour, great service, surroundings and friends’ to create a great meal.  I enjoy pleasing clients and it brings immense satisfaction to see them delighted when sampling one of my meals, whether it be in the form of fine-dining plates, home style buffets, an intimate picnic or a good ol’ back garden BBQ.

Each work day is a wonderful challenge that I embrace and having the support of my colleagues at capetownchef.com enables me to take on any task at hand. I look forward to many meals and diverse culinary experiences with Chef Jeremy and his unique team.