Not defined by his Michelin Star
Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen constantly reinvents himself, writes Nidha Narrandes
IF THERE was one way to describe Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen it would be a from Middelburg. Others may call him a “Michelin Star chef ”, but he prefers the former. While some chefs who bear such accolades might find that offensive, Van der Westhuizen embraces his South African heritage and that he hails from the soil of a small town. And that, right there, is what makes him as real as it gets.
But Van der Westhuizen is not just one thing; he is constantly reinventing himself. From culinary school to design, to photography and an internship at Elle magazine. He has seemingly done it all in his short 34 years.
Van der Westhuizen is not defined by his Michelin star or the string of success that followed with Jan, his restaurant in Nice, France. He wears his enthusiasm on the sleeve of his perfectly tailored, navyblue coat. You can almost reach out and touch it.
He describes himself as part of the slash generation. And what that means, he explains, is there is always going to be a backslash next to his job specs: Chef/ photographer/designer/writer/stylist.
The Good Food & Wine show is what brings Van der Westhuizen back to South Africa. The country’s largest culinary event begins today, and ends on Sunday, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. There is no doubt that it will be translated into the Great Food and Wine show, as he headlines the event alongside the original celebrity chef, Marco Pierre White.
Two worldly food innovators, both bestowed with the highest honour of Michelin Stars, bringing their energy into a space filled with people hungry for food knowledge.
Jan catapulted Van der Westhuizen to fame, and bore one Michelin Star in three years, but his heart remains with Mzansi.
“Coming back to South Africa for the show feels like nothing has ever changed. It’s just like the same for me. I love coming back. I am very excited for my first Good Food and Wine show,” he said.
Eager to share his journey and knowledge, Van der Westhuizen will cook along with the guests and throw around some life-altering advice, so you better get your tickets.
“People have read a lot about Jan (the restaurant) and all of our accomplishments in France, but not a lot of people can actually access that, so it is nice to come to South Africa and show what it’s all about,” he said.A huge fan of White, Van der Westhuizen is eager to meet the Briton and tap into his sense of cooking.
“For the first time this year they are doing chefs tables, which is a one-on-one cooking (experience) with me,” he said.
“I am cooking a three-course meal for a group of 30 people. They can ask questions and they get to taste the food. It is a true foodie experience. Then there’s the chef ’s theatre, where I demonstrate dishes. I am doing really cool stuff. I think people are going to love it.”
Humble beginnings
Middelburg, the home of culinary enlightenment – said no one ever – is where Van der Westhuizen was born and, strangely enough, the place where he was baptised into the world of food.
He gives all credit to his mother and grandmothers, who were the essence of great food.
“I always go back to their food as a reference. My mom and my grandmothers taught me how to cook and enjoy flavours. My biggest fan is definitely my dad, who is now the Kardashian of Middelburg. He is so funny, and without a doubt my biggest supporter,” Van der Westhuizen giggled.
It is clear, though, that he misses home terribly but for now, his place is with his “baby” in France. Which conjures up the much-asked question: Why Nice?
“I believe in time and place, and that was the time and that was the place. I opened Jan four-and-a-half years ago; I had just finished working on yachts in Monaco and the owner of the yacht planted the seed in my head. He said that I should really consider sharing my food with people,” Van der Westhuizen said.
“Nice was the cheaper alternative in the French Riviera. I found this little shop that was previously a motor-repair cycle shop and my business partner looked at it and said, ‘well, if you think it’s good then let’s try it’. We renovated it and signed the contract before we even knew what we were going to do, and that is how I like to do things. Just kind of get into it and make a success out of it, not to faff and think about things too much.”