A unique star studded gala evening destined to become the black tie event of the year, featuring 14 acclaimed South African chefs, seven adept sommeliers and seven celebrated artists all under one roof in aid of youth development, will be held in the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday,

5 September 2013.

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Presented by Mercedes-Benz South Africa, ‘Chefs who share – the ART of giving’ will treat guests to an evening of glamour, culinary artistry and fine art – all for a worthy cause. All the monies from the ticket sales and the proceeds of an art auction will go towards two youth development charities: Make a Difference Foundation (MAD) and Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

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“We are delighted to be in a position to host this inaugural ‘Chefs who share’ event in Cape Town. Together with our partners we hope to take this concept even further with similar events overseas in support of our chosen South African charities,” says event organiser Barbara Lenhard who has worked tirelessly to make her dream of creating this unforgettable evening of sharing a reality.

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The chefs are from all over South Africa and will be divided into pairs to share their culinary genius and individual menus with limited groups of guests. Each chef duo will be joined by a highly respected sommelier who will ensure that every dish is paired to perfection with a top South African wine. The evening will culminate with an auction of original works of art donated by participating artists.

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The chefs, all acclaimed masters of their craft, have been paired as follows:​

 

Bertus Basson​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Bertus Basson is a well-known and respected Chef better known for his patronship at Overture Restaurant, which opened its doors in 2007 and is situated at the picturesque Hidden Valley wine estate in Stellenbosch.

Since opening, Overture has accumulated several awards and has been included in the TOP 10 EAT OUT AWARDS for five years running. Overture has also been awarded three stars, the highest accolade in the Rossouw’s Restaurant Guide three years in a row. Bertus recently opened a quirky new business venture, an easy-food truck called “Die Wors-Rol” which travels all over the Western Cape in a caravan he calls “Betsie”.  In 2012 Bertus came on board as a judge for the Ultimate Braai Master and he’ll be joining the UBM team for season 2 in 2013.

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Peter Tempelhoff​​​​​​​​​​
Since January 2008 he has overseen five Relais & Chateaux restaurants in three hotels: Cellars-Hohenort, The Marine and The Plettenberg. Across the three hotels, Peter currently holds nine Rossouw's stars, more than any other chef in the country. The Greenhouse Restaurant at The Cellars-Hohenort in Constantia, Cape Town was named the country’s best and Sand at The Plettenberg was best hotel restaurant on the Garden Route for two years running in the guide.

In addition to his culinary cunning, Tempelhoff has two up-and-coming wine labels which can be sampled in South Africa. His flagship, Yardstick Wines is a collaboration with winemaker Adam Mason while his other label Marvelous Wines features wines with fun names such as Shazam, Kaboom and Ka-Pow.

Rudi Liebenberg​​​​​​​​​​
In 2006, Rudi joined one of Gauteng’s foremost culinary schools, the Prue Leith College of Food & Wine where he was principal and executive chef.  His passion for the kitchen took him back into hotels when he joined the Saxon Hotel as executive chef in December 2006.  In April 2009, Rudi went to Cape Town, where he took up the challenging position of executive chef at the Planet Restaurant in one of South Africa’s oldest and finest hotels – the Mount Nelson in Cape Town, renowned internationally as part of Orient Express for its world class food. Not only has Rudi worked in some of Gauteng’s top hotels, he has also competed in numerous prestigious local and international competitions. He is one of the most acclaimed chefs in Cape Town, and South Africa.

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Christiaan Campbell​​​​​​​​​​
South African born Christiaan Campbell comes with a solid track record, having worked at home and abroad in some heavyweight kitchens. He is the executive chef at Delaire Graff Estate, situated on the Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch, where the focus remains firmly on producing food that reflects the very best of local, ethically sourced ingredients.  Christiaan refers to his food as ‘sunshine cuisine’, and by this he means food that harnesses the vitality and warmth of the sun, giving life to those who eat it while providing maximum flavour and nourishment. Christiaan is committed to ethical farming and supporting free-range, pasture-reared livestock.

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Margot Janse​​​​​​​​​​
Newly crowned Chef of the Year at the 2012 Eat Out Awards, Margot has made it into the Eat Out Top 10 an unprecedented 11 times and spent eight years on the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. She’s also been a Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef since 2008. In 1995 Margot joined the culinary team at Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek. Many national and international awards later, Margot continues to thrive and enthrall serious diners from around the globe at The Tasting Room. Her stimulating African inspired surprise menu changes regularly based on the seasonal fresh produce which she sources from Le Quartier's own indigenous garden and small local producers.

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David Higgs​​​​​​​​​​
David Higgs is a world class chef who has travelled the globe and has mastered the culinary arts. He has won many awards including Eat Out Magazine Best Restaurant in South Africa, American Express Fine Dining Award, Rossouw's Platinum Restaurant Award for best overall restaurant 2011 and many more.  In 2011 he left the restaurant at Rust en Vrede in Stellenbosch and joined the Radisson Blue Gautrain Hotel. In May 2012 he joined Five Hundred at the Saxon as executive chef, where he has been given carte blanche to reinvent the fine fare at this luxury hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg.

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Jackie Cameron​​​​​​​​​​
For the past 10 years Jackie has been reaping the rewards of her commitment to her career. Under her guidance Hartford House in Mooi River, in the Kwazulu-Natal midlands was voted Eat Out Top 10 four times and boasts American Express Platinum Fine Dining and People’s Choice awards. With her input, Hartford House earned a Diner’s Club International Diamond Award for its 2012 wine list.

In her endeavour to share her knowledge, Jackie writes a monthly column for The Witness newspaper where, through her stories and recipes, she encourages readers to experiment with food – and to enjoy culinary feasts, however simple.

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Reuben Riffel​​​​​​​​​​
With three restaurants – Reuben’s in Franschhoek, Reuben’s at the One&Only Cape Town and Reuben’s at the Robertson Small Hotel – as well as recipe books, cooking courses and sponsorship deals, there’s no doubt that Reuben is a busy man. Reuben was awarded top honours at the 2004 Eat Out Restaurant Awards, winning both Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year. In 2007 Reuben was awarded Unilever Chef of the Year. Reuben feels the restaurant owes its success to the emphasis on simplicity, value for money and the modern yet classic décor. In November 2011, Riffel partnered with South African Airways to prepare some of his signature dishes for the airline’s Premium Class customers. His book Reuben Cooks, food is time travel – launched Nov 2008, was awarded best chef’s book in South Africa as announced by Spain based Edouard Cointreau, the president of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

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Darren Badenhorst​​​​​​​​​​
Darren was offered a position as Chef de Partie at Fairmont Zimbali Lodge when he returned to South Africa after his stint as executive chef at the Benguerra Lodge in Mozambique was cut short when the lodge was badly damaged during a cyclone. Gaining all the experience he could at Fairmont Zimbali, Darren went to work at Eat Me Gourmet Café, a fine dining establishment in KwaZulu-Natal. He has also taken part in multiple Chaîne des Rôtisseurs initiatives and competitions.

When Darren relocated to Cape Town he took up the position as Chef de Partie at Waterkloof in Somerset West, giving up his executive chef status in order to work alongside Chef Gregory Czarnecki. Darren is currently the chef at Grande Provence in Franschhoek and works closely with Michelin star chef Michel Louws from Huka Lodge in New Zealand, Grande Provence's sister property, sharing culinary knowledge and ideas to raise both fine establishments to their full potential.

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Chris Erasmus​​​​​​​​​​
Chef Chris Erasmus joined Pierneef at La Motte in Franschhoek in 2010 from his position as executive chef at Ginja Restaurant. His global culinary experiences have taught Chris discipline, respect and passion for many different styles of cuisine, but it is being a part of a new food awakening in Africa that truly excites him.  Chris also played a very important part in the cookbook, Cape Winelands Cuisine, which discusses the history of cuisine in the Cape Winelands while sharing traditional recipes modernised for today’s palate and kitchen. He is determined to promote the local food community to diners and industry alike.

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Harald Bresselschmidt​​​​​​​​​​
Bresselschmidt is so gifted that people feel that there is a magic wand hidden in his fingers. His world-class cooking is a visible fusion of the East and the West. Harald’s innovative culinary ideas have firmly cemented him as one of South Africa’s leading chefs. His Aubergine Restaurant, located in Cape Town, has won some incredible awards, including Diners Club Platinum Wine List Awards 2010 and is a favourite of leading food critics.

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Chantel Dartnall​​​​​​​​​​
Chantel studied at Prue Leith’s famous academy, before being awarded a scholarship from the World Association of Chef’s Societies to study in the USA at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island. She then went to work for Michael Caines at Gidleigh Park Hotel in Devon for six months.

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With this stellar experience behind her, Chantel returned to South Africa and established the 40-seater Restaurant Mosaic at the Orient boutique hotel in Elandsfontein, Pretoria in 2006. She draws her inspiration from fresh, seasonal produce to create dishes which taste as wonderful as they look. She regularly travels the world to keep up with global trends and to ensure that Mosaic continues to compete with the best international dining establishments. Chantel Dartnall has become renowned in culinary circles around the world for her innovative and meticulous approach to modern fine dining.

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Marthinus Ferreira​​​​​​​​​​
Marthinus has a wealth of experience from working in some of the finest dining spots in the United Kingdom. Whether it is working amongst Michelin star masters, or expanding culinary appreciation on home soil, there is dedication and vision deeply entwined in all that he does. Having worked in a number of top establishments in South Africa, he has developed an innate understanding of the local restaurant industry.

His restaurant, dw eleven -13 , in Dunkeld West, Johannesburg was voted “winner” in the Eat out Top 10 Awards in 2011 and made the top 10 again in 2012. Marthinus has worked at some of the finest restaurants in the world and has brought those ideas and philosophies to dw eleven-13 and Johannesburg.

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George Jardine​​​​​​​​​​
In 2006, George returned to South Africa to open restaurant Jardine in Cape Town’s CBD. George was Eat Out’s Chef of the Year in 2006 and 2007 and Restaurant Jardine is the only restaurant in South Africa to be selected in Eat Out’s Top Ten 3 years in a row. Restaurant Jardine was also been voted on San Pellegrino’s Top 100 restaurants in the world for 2008 and 2009.

November 2009 saw the opening of Jordan Restaurant, a winelands restaurant situated outside Stellenbosch on the highly acclaimed Jordan Winery. After only one year Jordan Restaurant was awarded the Number Three position in Eat Out Magazine’s Top Ten Restaurants in South Africa.

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The beneficiaries of this singular event, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, both share a proud record of running successful youth development programmes that have made a difference to the lives of young South Africans from less fortunate backgrounds. Spearheaded by Francois Pienaar in 2003, MAD identifies and nurtures talented youths to become role models through a mentorship programme. Literacy and environmental awareness is promoted through a broad based educational programme.

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With a singular mission of using the power of sport as a tool for social change, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation helps children to overcome the limitations of challenging social issues from poverty, homelessness and violence to drug abuse and AIDS. Founded over 10 years ago under the patronage of Nelson Mandela, the foundation is part of a worldwide programme of sports related community projects.

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‘Chefs who share’ is destined to become one of the most prestigious events on the Cape Town social calendar. The event enables guests to get up close and personal with South Africa’s finest chefs, sommeliers and artists and offers companies the opportunity to treat clients to a very special evening whilst supporting a worthy cause.

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Tickets to this rare culinary showcase are available at R3 000 per person. Early booking for individual tickets or entire tables is recommended to secure your preferred chefs for the evening.

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For more information visit www.chefswhoshare.com, email tickets@chefswhoshare.com or call ​

Tel: 021-433 1699.

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Chantel Dartnall

Chris Erasmus

Jackie Cameron

Rudi Liebenberg

Margot Janse

Christiaan Campbell

Peter Tempelhoff