The 2018 issue of Eat Out magazine is on sale now.

Wondering about who gets to decide which restaurants make it into Eat Out magazine? Our panel of critics is spread around the country, each member of which possesses a variety of skills and qualifications. To qualify, they must be either experienced journalists or professionals in the hospitality or food industry, or both. A hearty, adventurous and experienced palate is a must – not to mention stretchy pants. Meet our panel for the 2018 Eat Out magazine.

Alida Ryder
Alida is a cookbook author, food blogger, stylist and photographer living in Pretoria with her husband and twins. Her days are filled developing, styling and shooting recipes for clients, her blog and books.

Amelia Brown
Amelia is a writer and sub-editor based in Cape Town.

Amy Ebedes
Amy is the online editor for Woolworths TASTE and community manager for Eat Out. She holds post-graduate qualifications in the field of nutrition and dietetics and is a registered dietician.

A glorious pizza from Coalition in Johannesburg, winner of our Best Italian category for Gauteng at the 2017 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Best Everyday Eateries. Photo supplied.

Anna Montali
A food editor, blogger, recipe developer and food stylist, Anna Montali is the former food editor and deputy editor of Food & Home Entertaining Magazine. She has won numerous awards, including several Caxton awards, the LG Home Chef in Dubai award and the prestigious Galliova Food Writer of the Year award.

Ashraf Booley
Ashraf is a writer, poet and content manager. He finds it particularly hard to balance his love of food with his love of fitness, but we all know how the cookie crumbles…

Colette du Plessis
Colette is a health journalist from Bloemfontein with a passion for seasonal and regional food.

Charlotte Pregnolato
Charlotte is a freelance food and lifestyle writer as well as an enthusiastic cook and an avid traveller.

Diane de Beer
Diane is a freelance journalist and a blogger who writes about food, theatre, movies, books, life, the universe and everything else.

Graham Howe
Based in Cape Town, Graham Howe is one of South Africa’s most experienced lifestyle journalists. A specialist writer on food, wine and travel, he has contributed in print, on radio and online on gastronomic assignments to over 60 countries over the last three decades. He has wined and dined as a critic for Eat Out since 2005 – making the 2018 edition his fourteenth issue.

Greg Landman
A long-time Eat Out reviewer and contributor to numerous publications, Greg likes to travel and visit restaurants both locally and overseas.

Hennie Fisher
Hennie is a culinary arts lecturer in the department of Consumer and Food Science at the University of Pretoria. He is also a hospitality researcher and wine writer.

Hetta van Deventer-Terblanche
Hetta is a South African food culture expert, culinary consultant and chef.

A breakfast tangia at La Terrasse in Pretoria, winner of our African category for Gauteng at the 2017 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Best Everyday Eateries. Photo supplied.

Ishay Govender-Ypma
A food and travel journalist and cookbook author, Ishay Govender-Ypma often writes about the relationship between food and culture in a historical and contemporary context. She judges in international restaurant awards and lives in Cape Town when she’s not on the road.

Isiguzoro Oyeoziri
Isi is a sensory and consumer insights specialist, who is passionate about the relationship between the senses and food. Since 2012, he has been a researcher with the Sensory Research Division in the Department of Food Science at the University of Pretoria.

Jeanne Calitz
Jeanne is a freelance lifestyle editor and writer from Cape Town.

Jodi-Ann Pearton
A Silwood graduate, Jodi has varied experience, ranging from working at The French Laundry to owning The Food Design Agency, which specialises in food styling, product development, product testing, high-end functions, celebrity cheffing and skills upliftment. She is also currently Competitions Director on the Board of the South African Chefs Association and regular columnist in food publications.

Cocktails at The Stack in Cape Town, winner of our Best Bistro category for the Western Cape at the Best Everyday Eateries for 2017. Photo supplied.

Jody Theodore
Chef and stylist for print and TV, Jody currently works for charity organisation Afri-can, which teaches entrepreneurs in underprivileged areas how to run a food business. He also runs Flavour ZA.

John Maytham
John is a presenter on Cape Talk with a special interest in food and wine.

Kate Liquorish
Kate is an actress and freelance food-and-travel writer. When she’s not treading the boards or seeking out her next narrative, she’s a connoisseur of coffee, a guzzler of good wine and scoffer of all things delicious.

Katharine Jacobs
Katharine is the online editor of Eat Out. Her food, lifestyle and arts writing has also been published in various local print and online publications.

Kholeka Kumalo
A features editor, Kholeka is moved by music, words and food.

Linda Scarborough
Deputy editor of Eat Out, Linda has worked on various print and online publications as a writer, copy editor and features editor.

Lynda Ingham-Brown
Lynda is the senior copy editor of Woolworths TASTE.

Mokgadi Itsweng
Mokgadi has been featured on TV, developed recipes for magazines, participated in food festivals and worked with African food expert Dora Sithole on her recipe book, Cape to Cairo. She has won a Galliova award for food writing. Mokgadi is creative director and head chef for Lotsha Foods.

Margaret Linstrom
Margaret adores words and writing. Her day job rotates around lecturing journalism to university students.

Marie-Lais Emond
Marie-Lais is an editor, writer, food reviewer and radio personality.

A spread at Fuego in Cape Town, winner of our Best Mexican category in the Western Cape at the 2017 Best Everyday Eateries. Photo supplied by the restaurant.

Nelleke Elston
Nelleke has experience as a pastry chef, food stylist and caterer business owner. Currently she works as a freelance food stylist and runs her own guest house in the Garden Route.

Nicola Ashe
This proud Durbanite is a brand consultant and lifestyle blogger at Ask Ashe. She has a penchant for butter and lemon, loves comfort food and cannot abide bad service thanks to her old-school waitress roots.

Nicola Jenvey
Nicola is a freelance financial journalist with a passion for food and wine.

Nikita Buxton
Nikita is a writer at Eat Out and a fanatical foodie who believes that every great meal should start with a glass of bubbly.

Paddi Clay
Paddi Clay loves to cook, eat out and travel. She has over four decades of experience in journalism and news as a foreign correspondent, editor and trainer.

Petro Lotz
Petro has owned a restaurant, eaten her way through African and Asian markets, and cooked on television. She currently runs a catering business, presents fun cooking evenings, grows her own herbs and veggies, and is involved in the family’s artisanal meat and cheese making.

Waffles at S43 Home To That Brewing Co. in Durban, highly commended in the Eat Out Savanna Best Burger category for KZN for 2017. Photo supplied.

Richard Holmes
Richard is a freelance travel and food journalist.

Rupesh Kassen
Rupesh is a chef and freelance writer.

Sam Linsell
Sam is a food stylist, recipe writer and food photographer with award-winning website DrizzleandDip.com. She has published two cookbooks.

Sandiso Ngubane
Sandiso is a freelance writer, trend analyst and performer.

Seth Shezi
Seth is a lifestyle strategist, creative director, freelance writer and photographer.

Shirley Berko
After working for over a decade in advertising and specialising in food brands, Shirley launched a business offering food writing and photography for the KZN hospitality industry.

Steve Steinfeld
Steve is the founder of The Joburg Foodie. He spends his time exploring the ins and outs of South Africa’s food scene, showcasing his finds to his Instagram followers.

One of the cheesy burgers at Hudson’s, highly commended in the Eat Out Savanna Best Burger category for the Western Cape in 2017. Photo by Claire Gunn.

Thando Ndabezitha
Thando is a books editor, copy editor and scribe. Her interests range from reviewing books and food writing to critical discourse analysis. She holds an MA in journalism from Rhodes University.

Thulisa Martins
Thulisa is a product developer and has experience as a food editor, food stylist and blogger.

Tshepang Molisana
Tshepang is a writer and editor from Johannesburg. She won the 2016 Veritas Young Wine Writer of the Year.

Tudor Caradoc-Davies
Tudor is a travel, food and booze writer.

Wanda Hennig
Wanda is a news and feature journalist and an award-winning food and travel writer. The Durban-born UKZN graduate has contributed to publications in the US, the UK, Australia, Hong Kong and elsewhere.

Xolisa Phillip
Originally from Port Elizabeth, Xolisa is a news editor working in Johannesburg.

Yoghurt and figs at Meraki, winner of our Best Coffee Shop category for the Western Cape at the 2017 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Best Everyday Eateries. Photo supplied.

Zanele Kumalo
After starting out as a sub-editor and reporter, Zanele has worked at glossies in various roles as beauty editor, correspondent, bureau chief and editor. Currently in a senior editor role at a digital publication, she is an entrepreneur, writer, DJ and speaker.

Zodwa Kumalo-Valentine
Zodwa is a freelance writer/editor and the digital director of Livity Africa.

Zola Nene
Chef and segment producer on Expresso Morning Show on SABC 3, Zola is also a recipe developer, cookbook author and food stylist.

The 20th issue of Eat Out magazine is on sale now.