Stellenbosch-based chef Bertus Basson shines in a new local reality TV show that sees him guide restaurant owners towards their dream of having a successful restaurant. The catch? They only have 72 hours to do it.

“I’ve achieved great success, but I’ve also made a lot of mistakes and learned lessons that have cost me dearly,” says Bertus. “I want to share these insights with other restaurant owners.”

In the first episode of In Die Sop: Restaurant Evolusie, Bertus and his brigade head to the Swartland town of Riebeek Kasteel where he helps turn around the Red Tin Roof restaurant, owned and run by journalists Jacques Pauw and Sam Rogers. In a later episode, he also visits Evita se Perron in Darling to assist the new owners with their fine-dining restaurant and Tannie Evita’s Reconciliation Bobotie undergoes a radical transformation. (We look forward to seeing that one!)

Bertus says the aim of the show is to empower and inspire restaurant owners with his knowledge and experience. Bertus’s restaurants have won numerous Eat Out awards and in 2019 he was named the S.Pellegrino Chef of the Year. Read about how the pandemic inspired change for Bertus and what cooking trends he predicts we will see in the near future.

In Die Sop: Restaurant Evolusie airs on Wednesdays at 8pm on kykNET, DSTV channel 144.