Eric Bulpitt, the new head chef at Jardine in Cape Town, chats to Malu Lambert about how nature influences his plating, what annoys him about the SA restaurant scene, and why he’s going to Noma.

I hear you’re off to work at Noma for six weeks in August. How did you get so lucky?
Quite by chance, actually. I wanted to go to the French Laundry – Thomas Keller is one of my heroes – but it didn’t work out. Wilhelm (owner of Jardine) then suggested Noma. They were still number three at the time [on the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list], but they are now number one. Luckily Danes are very accommodating people and they said that they would be happy to have me.

Where else have you worked?
Locally I’ve worked at Bruce Robertson’s Showroom. When I was in London, I worked at The Ledbury, a two-star Michelin restaurant, and from there I went to a neighbourhood restaurant called Trinity in Clapham.

What I miss most about the London is the availability of produce – sea urchins, fresh scallops and brown crabs that were so big you didn’t know whether to pet them or eat them.

What new direction is Jardine taking with you at the helm?
You know, it’s never really something you sit down and think about, it just happens. It may sound clichéd, but I try to work with nature. Every time I plate something, I think of nature first. For example, if I’m plating lamb, I tell the guys in the kitchen to think of that lamb in the meadow nibbling on watercress, or fish on an ocean bed, or duck on a farm – a natural flow of plating opposed to neat little rows of various components.

And it’s not just about the plating of the food, it’s the plates too. We use different kinds of woods, such as eucalyptus, and marble and rock. The other day we went down to the beach to collect stones – we’ll use them to serve an amuse bouche, or even oysters.

What inspires you about the SA eating out scene, and what annoys you?
Uneducated eaters are the most annoying thing about the SA restaurant scene. Many people want big plates of food for as little money as possible – vleis, rys en aartappels. In Europe, they eat a lot lighter. Here we don’t eat for the weather; we’ll still have stews and potjies on a hot summer’s day. It’s our jobs as chefs to teach the SA palate to think differently about food.

What I love about the food scene here is that it’s young and happening. People are slowly starting to wake up.

What’s it been like working with George (Jardine)?
I’ve learnt refinement and how to cook like a Frenchman. I thought I could cook before I started working with George. I couldn’t. He’s taught me how to cook and how to respect food.

Do you have any advice for aspiring chefs?
There are way too many softies these days. You have to be willing to work long, hard hours. Be prepared to lose your friends and focus on your career. It’s very important to have a goal and to work towards that goal. Being a chef isn’t just a career, it’s a lifestyle.