Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, the first South African chef to obtain a coveted Michelin star – the hallmark of global culinary excellence – needs no introduction. The Mpumalanga-born culinary guru is not just a first-rate chef – he’s also a savvy businessman.
In 2014, he opened his first restaurant, JAN, on the French Riviera, which went on to receive its first Michelin Star in 2016 (and has retained it every year since).
His cookbooks The French Affair and JAN, A Breath of Fresh Air both won awards for the Best French Cookbooks in South Africa at the international Gourmand Cookbook Awards. And the first season of his TV show JAN won Best Variety Show at the South African Film and Television (SAFTA) awards in 2019.
Last year, van der Westhuizen opened JAN Innovation Studio in Cape Town. At select times of the year, he hosts small groups of 14 guests at a time for intimate dinners, but the studio is primarily a culinary development space where food developers and trainee chefs can explore South Africa’s unique culinary heritage.
The studio is also the home of JAN the Journal – part coffee-table cookbook, part luxury lifestyle magazine and travelogue. Every 300-page issue is filled with recipes and articles that chronicle the ever-evolving journey of van der Westhuizen and his culinary team over a six-month period. With a significant print and online presence, the journal is a niche publication much loved by foodies.
His latest culinary experience, KLEIN JAN, is under construction at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in the Northern Cape. It’s set to launch at the end of 2020 and will explore the Kalahari’s rich culinary heritage.
Van der Westhuizen’s Nightschool masterclass, ‘Where Culinary Arts and Business Meet’, is aimed at young up-and-coming chefs with good business ideas. The celebrated yet down-to-earth chef will share invaluable tips on business management and lessons that every culinary start-up can take to heart.
Don’t miss this informative Nightschool session, taking place as part of Design Indaba Nightscape 2020. The Masterclass will be held in the Arena venue at the Artscape Theatre Centre, and takes place at 18h00 on 26 February 2020.
Entrance is free if you have a Nightscape ticket or Conference ticket, but as the Arena venue is not large, you will need to reserve your seat – at no cost – on Webtickets. Entrance to Nightscape is R30 if you book ahead via Webtickets or R50 at the gate via cashless payment systems only.
Follow @janhendrikvanderwesthuizen on Instagram and @janhendrikvdwesthuizen on Facebook. For more information, visit www.janhendrik.com.
Nightscape’s Nightschool brings you closer to some of the most progressive creatives working today, via a series of Masterclasses. Tickets are limited, so reserve your seat now: https://bit.ly/2SDSMEt.
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About Design Indaba:
The globally acclaimed Design Indaba Conference was established in 1995 and has evolved into a multidisciplinary platform that champions the creative sectors. Its guiding principle is a Better World Through Creativity.
