As we head into the last stretch of the 2024/2025 Eat Out judging season, we’re lifting the curtain on this exciting eight-month-long journey to give you an exclusive glimpse into the experiences and discoveries that have guided our judges in identifying the country’s best restaurants. This is the first in a series of eight articles revealing insights gained from Eat Out’s meticulous and robust judging process. 

To protect their anonymity, our judges will be referred to by number – allowing their experiences, not their identities, to take centre stage.  

Judge 1  

Number of restaurants visited to date: 52

What has surprised you the most during the judging process so far?
How much I needed to eat! LOL! Seeing how hard a group of people work to leave a lasting impression on every guest. I’m obsessed with restaurant culture, and experiencing it from this side has been an ‘awakening’ of sorts to the small details; every single thing is connected from when I walk in, and everyone in that room plays a vital part in this inspiring industry we are all in. 

What emerging trends, themes, or innovations have you noticed?
A focus on sustainable practices – most chefs are taking this seriously and it’s beautiful to witness. Chefs are also digging deeper into their own heritage and seeking to present elevated dishes they grew up with. This is really great to see and can only mean great things for gastronomy tourism, as tourists and locals are experiencing nostalgic South Africa in all its glory! 

What ingredient has appeared most frequently across the restaurants you’ve visited?
Celeriac. OMG, I think I’ve eaten my lifetime’s worth of celeriac! Curry leaf – quite a bit of that in most of the restaurants. 

What’s been your general impression of service across the restaurants you’ve visited?
I believe one can teach service but not hospitality – that has to come from the individual. Bringing Ubuntu to the fore, that we all know innately, it is South African hospitality that is being displayed more and more [rather] than just good service. The chef can only do so much, but the service wraps the pretty ribbon around the experience, and it has been something most restaurants are putting effort into. And it shows.   

What are you most looking forward to as we move into the second half of the judging process?
Long summer lunches and warm evenings, and fresh, light, incredible seafood on the summer menus – some playfulness in the offerings. 

The Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards will culminate in a celebration of excellence on 31 March 2025. Read about Eat Out’s rigorous judging process here. 

Stay tuned for the next instalment of judges’ insights and sign up for our weekly newsletter to get all the latest Eat Out news straight to your inbox!