The inaugural SA Chef Conference & Expo was held on 25 and 26 November and was organised by SA Chef Media in partnership with The South African Chefs Association, the City of Cape Town and the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa.

The event featured panel discussions with industry leaders and chefs, providing attendees the chance to address current challenges and explore innovative solutions in the culinary sector. 

The thought-provoking and engaging discussions catered to both SMMEs and larger businesses and addressed a range of topics, including sustainability. 

Four trailblazing chefs, who are pioneering sustainability within the industry, Johannes Richter of The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate (the 2023 Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability award winner), Chris Erasmus of Terrarium, Kerry Kilpin of Bistro Sixteen82 at Steenberg Wine Farm, and foraging and indigenous foods specialist Gregory Henderson, shared insights on how to maintain an eco-conscious approach when operating a restaurant and promote sustainability. Here are three takeaways from their talk. 

The importance of traceability and localisation 

Central to the discussion of creating sustainable systems is sourcing locally and understanding where produce comes from.  

Chris, a talented chef with a passion for sustainability and foraging, has implemented strong local sourcing systems throughout his latest venture, Terrarium, emphasising that understanding where your money is going is key to the promotion of localisation. 

“A core part of my focus on sustainability is localisation and sourcing from local suppliers through supporting family-owned businesses,” he says.

One of his suppliers is Kerston Foods, a large family-owned business based in Cape Town.   

“I know where the money goes and that I am supporting families by doing this. The first thing I ask myself is how do we [work] to keep the money in town to make a difference in our immediate local community,” he adds. 

Chef Chris Erasmus

As a key player, who has been lauded within the industry for trailblazing sustainable systems and processes, Johannes built the foundations of The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate with sustainability at the forefront. 

“We never wanted to make a restaurant sustainable, we wanted to actually start off with a sustainable restaurant from the beginning,” he explains. By working directly with suppliers, Johannes and his team cut out intermediaries, reducing packaging waste and ensuring a better understanding of where the products come from. 

“It has driven the way that we work with our suppliers, the way that we try to cut out the middleman, where usually a lot of packaging happens, and we are really trying to be close to the source with everything that we do. This has been our starting point.”  

Chef Johannes Richter

Essential to promoting these greener systems is the Theory of Change. As Gregory points out, “As part of the liability of utilising produce and food items, you have got to have your theory of change, where the source that it comes from is: how you are going to use it, what the products will become and how you are giving back.” 

The Theory of Change encompasses a holistic approach that restaurants can implement to adjust their systems and be part of the change.  

“Most of our fresh produce is exported internationally due to its high quality and value,” Chris points out. “Most of our beautiful stuff goes overseas and the chances of you finding a real Cape apple is better at Borough Market in London than it is in Cape Town.” The ultimate goal in fostering greener ecosystems is to try to keep some of this produce in South Africa and export less.  

“My dream is to keep things regional, local and in season,” says Chris. Emphasising the origins of our produce is vital for supporting local suppliers and helping diners make sustainable choices.

As Kerry notes, this empowers consumers to make informed decisions. “I grew up in Bathurst, in the Eastern Cape, on a pineapple farm, and many people do not even know that more pineapples are grown in that area than in KwaZulu-Natal, and it shows that we do not necessarily showcase the products in the right areas of our country.”  

Education – from soil to plate 

Integral to fostering continuous change and empowering others not only to be involved in sustainable efforts but to also implement their own is the power of education.

Did you know that, according to Gregory, only 60% of the produce available at Cape Town and Joburg markets is sold, while 40% is left to rot?  

Highlighting the importance of reusing produce and reducing our waste, Gregory sheds light on the impact that a single tomato can have: “I always tell the story of a tomato. You’ve got about 1 000 seeds – you take that one seed [and] you can grow another tomato, one tomato [and] you can grow about 500 to 1 000 plants.” 

Chef Gregory Henderson

Furthermore, it highlights the importance of restaurants growing their own produce. The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate is home to a vegetable garden, from where many of its ingredients are sourced. Johannes highlights the importance of gardening as a labour of love and patience. “After five years, we are now at the stage where we’ve grown our own potatoes and can offer them on our menu. For us, our ethos is rooted in root to shoot – as with nose to tail, we really want to use the whole plant.” 

As part of its environmentally conscious approach, all the staff at The LivingRoom are trained to understand where each ingredient is sourced from, as well as how, and to relay this to their diners. “I think that is really the crux of getting the message across,” says Johannes. 

Chris is empowering his staff by growing a small vegetable garden at the back of Terrarium, with the aim not only to grow items and feed people, but also to teach his staff how to grow the produce themselves. 

“Education forms a key part of driving to more sustainable systems and consumption, and a core part of that is knowing where [something] comes from. For example, I took my son to an abattoir, to Farmer Angus, when he was five. Shame, the kid was traumatised, but at least he knew where he came from. And now he asks the questions; he’s fifteen now and asks the questions,” shares Chris. 

Ocean conscious

An organisation that has revolutionised the sourcing of fish produce to foster sustainable efforts while supporting the local community is Abalobi. Based in Cape Town, this company offers fully traceable fish and seafood from small-scale fishers in South Africa. Working with small fishing communities to record their catch data and catch produce, Abalobi’s systems are dedicated to ensuring that from ocean to line and, finally, plate, social, economic and ecological principles are upheld.  

One of the first restaurants to work with Abalobi was Bistro Sixteen82, and since utilising their systems at the restaurant, Kerry says that it has fostered innovation in dishes and promoted the use of every part of the fish.  

Abalobi, sourced: Abalobi Facebook

“There is zero wastage on our seafood items. For example, we have a dish that runs 24/7 and it’s known as BistroSixteen82 pickled fish. It’s a recipe that utilises steamed fish that comes off the bones after you’ve filleted it.” 

Chef Kerry Kilpin

By working with Abalobi, the team at Bistro Sixteen82 has gained an in-depth knowledge of where the fish comes from, who the fishers are, and what bait they use. 

Growing up on the coastline, diving and fishing since he was young, Johannes has witnessed the tangible changes in our coastal life firsthand. Because of this, he only offers one fish dish on the restaurant’s menu.  

“People do point out that we don’t have fish on our menu, [but] we don’t have Abalobi in KZN. We have scrapped [fish] completely and we only use trout that is found outside of the nature reserve in the Drakensberg, located in beautiful pristine waters and not being fed fish meal,” he explains.  

It is clear that tangible changes need to happen in order to protect our oceans. “If we do not start rethinking the way that we are consuming [fish], we are going to be in big trouble,” states Johannes.

No matter how small or big the change or adjustment, everyone can contribute to sustainable efforts in our country. Whether it’s growing your own veggies, making sure you use every part of the produce you buy or supporting 100% local, every effort makes a difference.

As the metaphor goes, it takes a village, and these pioneering chefs are demonstrating how even the simplest of changes can have a lasting impact on our communities and environment. South Africa is home to a cornucopia of natural resources that need to be protected, and it’s time everyone came to the table.  

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