You’ve seen them in their restaurants, slinging out the dishes that have got them onto this list. You may have spoken to a few of them, or read about them in magazines. But how well do you really know the nominees for this year’s Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards? I’ve called on an army of spies to help spill the beans on the best chefs in the country. All names from sources have been omitted.

Babel’s Simone Rosssouw
Simone loves being outdoors and anywhere near the sea. She’s warm and friendly and was described by more than one of her colleagues as “bubbly”. I think it might have something to do with the amount of MCC coursing through her veins… Apparently that is her drink of choice when she knocks off.
 
Bistrot Bizerca’s Laurent Deslandes
When he was younger Laurent originally wanted to be a priest. I for one am glad he didn’t do down that route. Although, having tasted the man’s food, I think he may well get some kind of divine intervention when he makes his menu. I’m pretty sure he could turn water into wine too.
 
Delaire Graff Estate Restaurant ’s Christiaan Campbell
He is right up there with the most committed in the country when it comes to supporting ethically-reared and free-range animals. When pushed, he admits the hardest thing he has had to sacrifice is foie gras. A fellow nominee, Luke Dale Roberts, did managed to break him down with one of his creations at The Test Kitchen that contained the ingredient. “The dish was too beautiful to say no to. But I just had a taste.”

DW Eleven-13 ’s Marthinus Ferreira
When he’s had a few beers this chef likes to really flex his culinary muscles at home. His late-night snack of choice? Two-minute noodles or a bowl of corn flakes. Genius.
 
The Greenhouse’s Peter Tempelhoff
Executive Chef Peter Tempelhoff was beaming with pride when he accepted the award on behalf of The Greenhouse as last year’s Restaurant of The Year Winner. The night was full of glitz and glamour but the real celebrations were with his team. He rounded up his crew and had a braai in The Newlands Forest to thank them all. It seems like the success is very much down to the team work ethic.
 
Hartford House’s Jackie Cameron
You may know her as the talented chef who heads up the award-winning Hartford House kitchen, but did you know she is also an established cookbook author? It’s true. When she was five she baked her first loaf of bread and wrote a book about it. It was – brilliantly – dubbed “Jackie’s bread”. No word on how many issues she has sold to date. Last count was zero.
 
Jordan Restaurant’s George Jardine
Famous for running a tight ship, it seems there is one chink in Chef George Jardine’s kitchen. His grasp on Afrikaans. Former employees admit it is the only way to get him flustered during a service. Nou weet jy.
 
La Colombe’s Scot Kirton
As a brilliant chef, it might surprise you to learn that Scot never went to chef school. Instead, it was straight into professional kitchens after school. He loves eating out and hardly ever cooks at home. Which would explain the contents of his fridge when we checked it out. Three items: tomato sauce, sour milk and peanut butter.
 
Makaron’s Tanja Kruger
Here’s a chef who fancies herself as being able to be see things before they happen. And I’m not talking about being in control of a busy service. She literally thinks she can see the future! With hidden talents as a palm and card reader, Tanja often puts her psychic ability to the test on willing staff members. She does admit to pretending to know more than she really does.

Overture’s Bertus Basson
How much does Mr Basson dig food? Well, his dog is called Patat. That’s how much. And ladies, here’s a tip: if you’re looking to impress Bertus, you better impress Patat too. He once dumped a girl because she kicked Patat off the bed. As aside note, did you know Bertus took home economics at school? He was the only dude in the class.
 
Pierneef à La Motte’s Chris Erasmus
A true family man, Chris’s love of tattoos sees his son’s name, Liam, emblazoned on his bicep. His dedication to his family is the only thing that beats his dedication to improving his skills. In fact, he has just returned from Noma, where he learnt many tips from Chef Rene Redzepi, The most interesting? Learning how to ferment crickets.
 
Planet Restaurant’s Rudi Liebenberg
An obsession with tomatoes and 80’s rock and roll shows this chef’s diverse interests. In particular there seems to be an obsession with the song Don’t Stop Believing, by Journey. He has been known to belt out every single word of it. With such a wide skill set and an advanced menu you wouldn’t guess his last meal on earth if he had to choose. The simple burger. Obviously with tomatoes…
 
Restaurant Mosaic’s Chantel Dartnall
With her restaurant acting as some kind of Eastern eclipse in the middle of nowhere, Chantel’s love for the orient carries through to her house. She has spent years curating various Eastern artifacts and her home now boasts more than 20 Koi fish and stunning pieces from Cambodia, Thailand and India.
 
The Roundhouse’s Eric Bulpitt
Eric commands a great deal of respect in the kitchen. Most of the time. Until he begins to sing. That’s when it all goes downhill. On the day of writing he had cranked out a particularly bad version of Stop In The Name of Love according to some in the kitchen. Whether or not the crew will ever recover remains to be seen.
 
Rust en Vrede Restaurant’s John Shuttleworth
Described by pretty much everyone I spoke to at Rust en Vrede as some version of efficient and/or organised, it seems his OCD habits remain at the restaurant. At home John will apparently use “five pots and a few pans” just to make an omelette. I’ll bet it’s a mighty fine omelette though.
 
The Tasting Room’s Margot Janse
Margot developed her sharp palate at a young age. How young? She was eight when she nailed her first plate of frogs’ legs. And her son Thomas is following suit. Also eight, his favourite dishes include ripe cheese, snails and oysters. Not exactly standard fare for a kid that age. We just may have another superstar in the making.

Terroir’s Michael Broughton
At age sixteen Michael got a Kenwood Chef mixer for his birthday. That’s funny enough. But my sources went on to tell me he used to rush home from rugby practice and bake up a storm with that thing. His soundtrack? U2 of course.
 
The Test Kitchen’s Luke Dale-Roberts
Mr Dale-Roberts doesn’t seem to have an iron stomach. In fact, he can’t keep anything down if he doesn’t enjoy it. When asked for examples, the answer was “there are too many”. One did stand out though – an infamous tale involving Vietnam, snake wine and projectile vomit.
 
Tokara’s Richard Carstens
This guy could have been an artist, a musician, an author or anything that involves the creative spark. His knowledge of all of the above is incredible. He is heavily influenced by Asia – especially in the kitchen. With a diverse taste in music, one artist does stand out. And he stands out pretty blatantly! Nick Cave. Richard’s shelves are lined with albums and books dedicated to the man.

By Andy Fenner