Over the weekend I had lunch with restaurateur Philippe Wagenfuhrer (former executive chef at Roots) at his new venture in Boksburg called Gray. A stylish Harley Davidson store forms part of the restaurant, lending it slick gray tones with motorbike-inspired lighting and décor. Here I dined on fabulous grass steak, one-man cheeses, Philippe’s own wine (only R50 a bottle and far from plonk) and specially sourced coffee.

It’s always inspiring to spend quality time with Philippe, who not only believes in cooking with the best ingredients, but also encourages and motivates his staff, celebrating them as his heroes.

Inspiring even more people this weekend were nine of the world’s top chefs, who gathered together to write an open letter to the next generation. The so-called G9 meeting took place in Lima, Peru where the globe’s best reflected on a dream in which chefs are socially engaged: conscious of and responsible for their contribution to a fair and sustainable society.

The key message was about the duty of chefs towards nature, society, knowledge and ethics. Chefs have a responsibility to protect the earth’s biodiversity by recovering heirloom and endangered species, and by preserving authentic flavours and culinary methods – not to forget cultures. “Cooking is a powerful, transformative tool that, though the joint effort of co-producers – whether we be chefs, producers or eaters – can change the way the world nourishes itself,” they said.

Stirring emotions is key in educating diners and helping them to make the right, healthy choices about the foods they eat. Chefs have the unique opportunity to transmit this knowledge. These nine masters have shown that while it is important to fulfil dreams with authenticity, humility and – above all – passion, one must be guided by ethics and a shared responsibility.

Happy eating!
Abigail