In an ode to Women’s Day, we are spotlighting several exceptionally talented Eat Out star chefs who are running some of the top restaurants across the country. Women are a vital part of the restaurant industry, forming cornerstones for innovation, growth and development in an ever-challenging industry.  

We caught up with some of them to gain insight into their careers, the lessons that they’ve learnt and their hopes for an ever-growing, inclusive industry. 

Caroline Lamb, The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse  

Caroline Lamb is the head chef of the illustrious Eat Out one-star restaurant located at the iconic Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, The Red Room. 

What advice would you give to young women who aspire to enter the culinary field and achieve success? 

My advice would be to embrace a mindset of continuous learning and resilience.  

The culinary world can be demanding, but passion and dedication will fuel your journey. Master the fundamentals, don’t be afraid to experiment and infuse your unique style into your creations.  

Build strong relationships with mentors and peers – take time to learn from their experiences and let their insights map your growth. It is important to be confident in your abilities and remember that persistence and hard work are the ingredients that will lead to success. 

Caroline Lamb, The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse 

Jes Doveton, Acid Food & Wine Bar 

Jes Doveton is the founder and head chef of Eat Out one-star restaurant, Acid Food & Wine Bar, located in the bustling City of Gold. The restaurant offers a unique take on Southeast Asian fare with a stellar wine list to match.  

What does it mean to you to be recognised as a leading female chef in the industry? 

I feel honoured to represent so many hard-working women in the industry and so few get the credit they deserve, to be recognised as one of them and to help inspire them to achieve their goals means everything to me. 

Jes Doveton, Acid Food & Wine Bar

Siba Mtongana, winner of the Eat Out Woolworths Trailblazer Award 

Eat Out Woolworths Trailblazer Award winner 2023, Siba Mtongana is a restaurateur, chef, cookbook author and all-around powerhouse in the local food scene. 

Can you share some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career and how you overcame them?  

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my career was embracing diversity in all aspects of my work. Coming from a background where diversity wasn’t always celebrated, I made it my mission to integrate different cultural influences into my brand. This was not just about the food I prepared, but also about the stories I told and the people I chose to work with. Embracing diversity allowed me to connect with a broader audience, leading to greater influence both locally and internationally. It wasn’t always easy, especially when there were pressures to conform to a single narrative, but I knew that staying true to my roots and showcasing a variety of voices and flavours would set me apart.  

Another significant challenge was opening a restaurant while being a wife and mother to four young children. Balancing the demands of family life with the intense workload of launching and running a restaurant was incredibly tough. There were days when I felt like I was being pulled in a million different directions, trying to be everything to everyone. But I learnt to prioritise and create a support system both at home and in my business.  

My husband and I worked out a system that allowed me to be present for my children while still pushing forward with my professional goals. It took a lot of late nights, early mornings, and sometimes sacrifices, but seeing the success of the restaurant and knowing that I didn’t have to compromise on my role as a mother made it all worthwhile.  

These experiences taught me that the challenges we face often lead to our greatest strengths. By embracing diversity and finding ways to balance my roles as a wife, mother, and entrepreneur, I was able to create something truly unique that resonates with a wide range of people. 

Siba Mtongana

Carla Schulze, Salon  

Located in the Mother City, Eat Out two-star restaurant Salon is led by chef Carla Schulze. Founded by chef Luke Dale Roberts, the restaurant offers a menu of international cuisine, served in the form of small plates.  

How do you see your role as an Eat Out star chef in terms of influencing and inspiring the next generation of chefs? 

As a chef, I place a strong emphasis on mentoring and teaching the next generation. I strive to lead by example, showcasing professionalism, creativity, and dedication in my work to establish a benchmark for aspiring chefs. My goal is to foster an environment that sparks innovation and encourages young chefs to explore new flavours and techniques, challenging culinary norms.   

By sharing my experiences, with the pillars of respect and a happy kitchen ethos, I aim to nurture a culture centred on passion, continuous growth, and inspiring others to achieve excellence through creativity. 

Carla Schulze, Salon

Nicolene Barrow, Orangerie at Le Lude 

 Awarded one star, Orangerie at Le Lude is led by executive chef Nicolene Barrow. The restaurant takes inspiration from French classical-style cuisine. Using fundamentals of French cuisine to enhance her interpretations, chef Nicolene crafts a range of delightful dishes with seasonality in mind.  

Who as a fellow female chef has inspired you? 

I would have to say chef Monica Galetti. Throughout my 20+ years being a chef, no one stands out quite as much as she does. Her kind but firm words got me through the hardest of times at the Le Gavroche, sitting on those fire escape stairs behind the kitchen on the gloomiest of London winter days, and her guiding hand under chef Michel Roux Jr moulded my skills and understanding of what it takes for a woman to succeed in a male-dominated environment. 

Chef Monica’s work ethic, dedication and passion for the industry laid the foundation for my own career. Today she is a well-known restaurateur herself and a TV presenter who inspires women and chefs around the world, a true inspiration. 

Nicolene Barrow, Orangerie at Le Lude

Anouchka Horn, Belly of the Beast 

Located in the bustling city bowl of the Mother City, Belly of the Beast is co-led by talented chef Anouchka Horn. Awarded two stars, the restaurant offers a refined dining experience inspired by traditional South African cuisine with a focus on using local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients.  

Can you share a life-changing moment in your career and what you learnt from it?  

Opening Belly of the Beast was one of the biggest life-changing decisions I’ve made. In the previous restaurant where I worked with my business partner, Neil, we weren’t able to do all the things we wanted to and were very limited in what we could offer. 

When we opened a restaurant in the heart of Cape Town that only seats a small number of guests and had all these rules in place, many thought we were crazy and wouldn’t succeed. Luckily, once the doors opened, everyone else could see what we saw.  

Without the limitations, we have had many guests eating offal, and other challenging ingredients, who would never have chosen to do so on their own, and they absolutely loved it. We are able to surpass the preconceptions that people have when it comes to food and change their perception of ingredients or dishes by sharing the dishes that we were fortunate to grow up with and enjoy. 

This has given me the freedom to explore the kinds of food I’m most passionate about, such as sharing my experience of growing up eating beef tongue with sweet mustard sauce, curried offal and samp, or sago pudding with canned peaches. 

Opening the doors at Belly was a life-changing moment in my career, teaching me to stick to my guns and what I believe in. 

Anouchka Horn, Belly of the Beast

Madré Bester, Madré Stanford 

Eat Out one-star restaurant Madré Stanford truly embodies the essence of a home away from home. Led and founded by Madré Bester, the restaurant is nestled in a charming village located between Hermanus and Gansbaai. Madré Stanford creates a truly exceptional and wholesome dining experience. ⁠ 

What is one change that you think will make an impact for women in the restaurant industry and why?  

I work with mostly women and most of them are single and they are all moms; to have peace of mind that your child is safe when you are at work and if there could be an institution or a foundation that the hospitality industry can start, an initiative where your kid is safely fetched from school, is fed, their homework is done and they are kept busy in a creative and safe way.  

And the other thing is transport; because we are in a rural area our taxi services are extremely basic. For instance, there are no taxis between Stanford and Gansbaai and there are minimum taxis between Stanford and Hermanus, maybe one or two a day at random hours, and they wait for taxis to be full before they take the drive out to these areas. This means that people hike sometimes and take a lift, and this is concerning for their safety; if the hospitality industry can pull together to assist individuals in a transport capacity.  

Madré Bester, Madré Stanford

Jess van Dyk, Post & Pepper 

Eat Out one-star restaurant Post & Pepper, located in Stellenbosch, was founded and is run by talented head chef Jess van Dyk. The menu at Post & Pepper pays homage to Jess’‘s wealth of experience gained in the industry with a non-stuffy approach to dining. 

In what ways do you feel you’ve contributed to the evolution of the SA food scene, particularly for women?  

I would say I am one of the first and only female fine –dining restaurant owners in our industry. I believe in being strong and independent and employing female staff to empower them with the same skills and confidence.  

 My style of food is refined, showing femininity, but hearty enough to also classify as comfort food. Post & Pepper definitely filled a gap in the market between normal small-plate dining and pretty plates of fine food at a fine dining establishment, as we offer the pretty and casual all in one setting.   

I show that you can come out on top in this male-dominated industry – hard work, grit and passion will take you where you want to be. Be genuine, be authentic and lift and straighten other women’s crowns on your way. 

Jess van Dyk, Post & Pepper

Charné Mouton, Head Chef at Epice  

Located at Le Quartier Français, Epice is an Eat Out two-star restaurant that offers a memorable dining experience in the heart of Franschhoek. The menu features a range of dishes that are guaranteed to tickle your taste buds. 

Looking ahead, what are your future goals? How do you plan to continue making an impact in the industry?  

I think, naturally, one of my goals will always be to create a bigger name for Epice. We are all passionate people in the industry and are always striving to be greater, constantly thinking about what’s next, and working towards wow factors that will leave guests with a memorable experience. 

I think many women avoid becoming chefs because they think it might limit them with other life opportunities; however, I believe it is all possible and the limits are only what we allow them to be. Where there is a will, there is a way, and we create the way by putting in the hard work, resting when needed and picking ourselves up whenever we fall. The industry does not define us, we define the industry. 

Charné Mouton, Epice

Amori Burger, Upper Union

Chef Amori Burger is the Executive Chef of the Eat Out one-star restaurant, Upper Union.  

Located just off bustling Kloof Street in Cape Town, and housed in an old heritage building, Upper Union is a stylish eatery that offers a shared-plates dining experience with a range of stellar dishes. 

What were some of the key milestones along the way to you becoming an Eat Out star chef? 

Three things stand out for me. First, mentors. Like Yvonne Short, an icon in the South African hospitality industry and someone I was lucky enough to work with for three years. 

 Second, running a restaurant like Van Der Linde was so much fun and heartbreaking to close during COVID.  

Third, joining MORE Family Collection and seeing Upper Union come to life after a fireside chat (literally…) with our CEO. I mean, what chef doesn’t want to own a restaurant in the Kloof Street neighbourhood in Cape Town?! 

Amori Burger, Upper Union

Eat Out reached out to several female chefs who, unfortunately, were unable to meet our publishing deadline.