Bruce Robertson: Exuberant barefoot chef who ditched his tunic and his menu
1970-2014
BRUCE Robertson, who has died in Cape Town at the age of 44, was an award-winning chef who brought a touch of adventure and joie de vivre to his job. It turned him into something of a cult figure among local foodies.
News of his death mere days after he was diagnosed with leukaemia sent shockwaves through the profession, and social media was flooded with tributes from those who had eaten at his restaurants.
It wasn’t just the quality of the food that won people over, but the flamboyance and infectious enthusiasm of “barefoot Bruce” himself. His communication skills were as good as his culinary skills. He engaged with his guests and chatted to them as he prepared meals.
This was a good thing, because there was no menu. Whatever was fresh, in season and available on the day is what he cooked.
Seafood was his passion and he spent much time in the sea foraging for it. The bottom of the jeans he wore — he discarded his prim white chef’s uniform long ago — would often still be wet when he prepared his latest haul for the pan.
He was extremely conscientious about the sustainability of marine resources and would not cook any fish that was on the endangered list.
Cooking was his life. His restaurant was his home, his home his restaurant.
“Boiling, bubbling and frying sea creatures when I want, for a select group of guests at my chef’s table, in my home, is the total and ultimate chef’s dream,” he said.
Robertson was born in Joburg on January 20 1970. He matriculated at St Alban’s College in Pretoria, studied graphic design at Durban Technikon and became an art director for an ad- vertising agency.
Then he hitched from Cape Town to Cairo and cycled around Europe, sampling Italian and French cooking.
He decided, while sitting on a park bench in London one day, that he wanted to be a chef.
He served his apprenticeship at The Ritz in London, the Lanesborough Hotel at Hyde Park Corner, Pétrus under Marcus Wareing and Gordon Ramsay, and finally The Belfry in Belgrave Square under Anton Mosimann.
He returned to South Africa as head chef of Singita Boulders game lodge in the Sabi Sand Reserve, then moved to Cape Town to become executive chef at the Cape Grace Hotel at the Waterfront.
It was when he opened his own restaurant, The Showroom, in Cape Town that he achieved iconic status. It took the top awards, and his unconventional methods, cuisine and design were the subject of much discussion at chef schools.
He left The Showroom to become a gourmet guide, something that was still in its infancy and which he helped to popularise. Known as “the Afrogastronaut” he spent two years cooking for wealthy tourists in posh private game camps in Africa, often under the stars.
Back in Cape Town, Robertson opened The Boat House restaurant at his home in Scarborough, followed by The Flagship in Simon’s Town.
He is survived by his daughter, Jemima, 5, and partner, Nicky Williams. — Chris Barron
He made it clear that he thought UDI was a monumental blunder
wife Rosemary (his second wife) in 1978, bought the first of several yachts and sailed with her around most of the world.
Back on his farm he wrote another 14 novels, working 14 hours a day from early morning to late at night. He took breaks for drinks, lunch and a siesta between midday and 6pm.
His novels took about two years each to finish, except for the one he wrote about South Africa, Roots of Outrage.
This took five years, including two years of research. It was not considered one of his better ones. He wrote in longhand, usually four or five drafts for each novel, with a 10-day break between drafts.
The Years of the Hungry Tiger, Leviathan and Typhoon were among his other bestsellers.
He wrote three works of nonfiction, Operation Rhino, Hong Kong and Through the Looking Glass, and taught creative writing on his farm. He died of pancreatic cancer. He is survived by Rosemary. They had no children, opting instead, they said, for a life of adventure and, in his case, writing. — Chris Barron