KOBUS VAN DER MERWE:
Life after world fame
Kobus van der Merwe has had a very busy year. This happens when your restaurant is suddenly catapulted into the international spotlight. But after six months of PR demands and capacity bookings, Kobus is still picking seaweed at low tide every day. He just has a few more stories to tell
IT’S EARLY
on a bright, crisp Thursday morning in Paternoster and the staff of Wolfgat are preparing for lunch service. Windows are opened, glasses polished, tables meticulously set. Outside on the stoep, the shutters are raised to reveal a glorious, unobstructed view of the Atlantic. In the kitchen, there’s a low hum of activity as the team members move about their tasks; chopping this, dicing that.
As for the chef, Kobus van der Merwe can be found strapping a fishing basket to his back before setting off for the beach to harvest seaweed for the day’s menu, a weekly ritual he’s been following at low tide for years.
Kobus is focused but unhurried, still intent on achieving his goal – to serve food that is sustainably sourced, hyper local and made unique with foraged ingredients. Every day. The only thing that has changed is that Wolfgat was recently catapulted onto the world stage after being named “Restaurant of the year” and “Best off-map destination” at the inaugural World Restaurant Awards held in Paris in February. These days, the little restaurant on the West Coast is no longer a hidden gem or an insider’s secret recommended by enthusiastic locals. Wolfgat has been all but overrun with international attention and overseas visitors – diners who are happy to book months in advance.
When asked about all the hoo-hah, Kobus – a soft-spoken, gentle soul who has been working with the same small team of staff for years – seems both deeply honoured by the recognition and baffled by the noise that has followed.
“We were caught completely off guard,” he admits. “We knew we were in the running for the ‘Best off-map destination’ award, but there was no mention of the ‘Restaurant of the year.’”
The attention has meant that they’ve had an amazing
season, for which he’s very grateful. “We were fully booked throughout winter, whereas usually we would be closed for two to three days every week for lack of tables. It’s been wonderful! And it’s great for the community, because people who come to eat here need somewhere to stay, and they also need somewhere else to eat because, let’s face it, you can’t eat three meals a day here,” he laughs.
Despite his gratitude, he makes it very clear that the title is not “best restaurant
People read ‘best restaurant in the world’ – imagine their expectations when they show up”