Whether they cook in shorts or spotless chef’s whites – and whether they work on a scenic wine farm or in an unassuming suburb – there’s something a little bit special about our nominee chefs.

We chatted to some of the chefs whose restaurants have been nominated for this year’s Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards to find out their recipe for success – and what it would mean to them to make the 2015 Top 10.

Win a meal at the No. 1 restaurant for 2015.

One lucky reader will win a meal for two at the 2015 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant of the Year winning restaurant, which will be announced on 15 November. Watch the videos below to get to know the chefs, then head over to mblife to enter.

At Camphors at Vergelegen, Michael Cooke and his team serve up vineyard-to-table food.

At Chefs Warehouse, Liam Tomlin finds inspiration in dishes from all over the world.

At DW Eleven-13, Marthinus Ferreira creates modern South African food with a European flavour.

At Foliage, Chris Erasmus and his team go against the grain.

Tickets to the 2015 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards are on sale now.

Be there on the day

The 2015 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards will be hosted as a Sunday lunch on 15 November at Mistico Equestrian Centre, 40 minutes’ drive from Cape Town. Tickets are on sale now for R1 495 per person. Pre-drinks will be served from 12pm, followed by lunch prepared by top chefs Scot Kirton of La Colombe, Nic van Wyk of Bistro 13, Michael Broughton of Terroir and George Jardine of Jordan. Bread will be baked by Jason Lilley of Jason Bakery. The awards ceremony will conclude at 6pm, followed by drinks at dusk. A complimentary shuttle service will be available from central points in Cape Town and Franschhoek, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.