By making it memorable from start to finish. Our aim is that the guests leave with a feeling for southern Africa that they did not have before. I use mostly indigenous southern African ingredients, and there are a lot of ingredients and flavours that are unknown. We combine it with a storytelling way of service, informative and capturing. 

What is the biggest mistake you made as a beginner?

I can't think of a single incident. It's more about the approach to food and the fine tuning of skills and techniques. I started working in the kitchen without having studied 'The Culinary Arts'. I read a lot and borrowed theory books from students in the kitchen. Learning to follow my intuition...

What are the greatest barriers you've had to overcome?

The balance between being a mother and a chef. It's not easy and actually gets more tricky as my son Thomas gets older. Luckily, I live very close to the restaurant and am able to combine the two without wasting time in traffic.

Is Thomas interested in cooking?

Thomas is nearly 7, and I have always approached food with an immense amount of enthusiasm with him. So he eats everything (except pizza – he has decided he does not like that anymore). He gets very excited by different ingredients and tries the new stuff first. He loves spending time in my kitchen, especially with my pastry chef. My husband is also a chef and owns his own restaurant, so he really gets it from both sides. I have also taught him that McDonalds and the like are selling fake food that maybe looks and smells remotely like food, but is actually very bad for you. He tells his friends...

What do you find most rewarding about being a chef? 

Happy people at the end of the night – both in the restaurant and my kitchen.