It was Abigail’s description of Nancy Kinchella’s scallop bouillabaise custard and melting lamb-confit cube in her newsletter two weeks ago that first piqued my interest in the Saxon Boutique Hotel’s executive chef. Who is this incredible Aussie and how did she end up creating epicurean artistry in South Africa? I caught up with her during a rare quiet moment in her office at the Saxon.

Like many great meant-to-be chefs, Nancy made her foray into the culinary industry at a very young age. 'I got an apprenticeship in Australia when I was 15,' she says of her background. 'It was a traditional European-style apprenticeship where you gain four years’ practical experience and go to college at the same time.' After earning her stripes at small restaurants and large hotels, Nancy planned to make a go of it in England for just six months, but ended up staying for eight years. 'Nothing was ever planned, everything just sort of moved organically on from one thing to another,' she says of her career path.

Last year, just as Nancy was about to head back to Australia, fate stepped in when a friend asked whether she’d be interested in working in South Africa. 'I was wary at first,' she says. 'The contract for my last position was coming up and I was thinking I should really go home. I mean, I’m 42. But then I got talking to Mr Cohen, the general manager at The Saxon, and… well, anyone who's ever spoken to him will know that he makes you feel as if anything in the world is possible.'

After flying to Joburg in January, it was love at first sight for Nancy, and not only because The Saxon offered to regularly do her laundry if she stayed. 'Once I saw the property and met the wonderful kitchen staff I was sold.' And that’s not even mentioning her head-over-heels love affair with local produce. 'What struck me when I first came here is the seasonality of everything,' she says. 'In the rest of the world you can get cherries for about nine months of the year. But here, you have to go back to the basics, because everyone is working with what’s seasonally available. That’s why I think the produce is so good in general. It’s how it’s supposed to be.'

Nancy describes her cooking style as modern European without the heaviness. 'I’m very much into braises and slow cooking,' she explains. 'I love the philosophy of slow food. I try to seek out artisans, people who produce single-herd dairy cheese or cheeses that are unpasteurised. People who have a passion for things, really.'

Asked to describe a dish that encapsulates her way of cooking, she thinks a while before answering, 'Roast pigeon with fresh greens, pumpkin brioche and ginger-and-pepper spiced bread. It’s the perfect marriage of texture and flavour, the two most important components of my cooking.'

With over 20 years’ experience in a male-dominated industry, I’m curious about whether she’s ever come across any sexism in the kitchen. 'I guess you’ll always come up against something, but you know, I just ignore it,' she says matter-of-factly. 'I have my job to do. I’m pretty focused in that respect. Look, I haven’t been a man, so I wouldn’t know how easy it is for somebody else. I think if you’re working 12 to 14 hours a day it’s hard for everybody, regardless of whether you’re a woman or a man. I get what I want. I don’t think about it.'

It’s this undeniable focus and drive that makes Nancy a new culinary force to be reckoned with on the local scene. Watch this space!

By Annette Klinger