Born and raised on a farm in Mpumalanga, South African Michelin-star Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen always knew he would one day return to the bush – to the campfires and the open skies of his home land. With a shared passion and vision for all things South African, a global partnership with the Oppenheimer family has led to this incredible new project that celebrates the unexplored culinary territory of the vast Kalahari.
KLEIN JAN will open its doors at Tswalu Kalahari, a first class unspoiled refuge that celebrates the simple, authentic splendours of this unique land. Driven by the values of local authenticity, heritage and sustainability of the environment, KLEIN JAN will become the place where this specific region’s culinary offering will be translated into world-class cuisine. Discovering this unexplored culinary territory with its unlimited potential has been a dream of Jan Hendrik’s for years.
In addition, JAN Innovation Studio will be opening its doors in Cape Town, where a team of chefs and students will continually develop and innovate South African cuisine. The Cape Town team will share their findings with their colleagues at Michelin star restaurant JAN in Nice, France, which will remain Jan Hendrik’s “mother ship”. In addition, South African diners can look forward to a series of pop-up dinners where they will be able to taste what Jan Hendrik and his teams have been up to.
JAN Innovation Studio will also be home to JAN the JOURNAL, a biannual publication that shares Jan Hendrik’s ideas, passion and curiosity about the culinary world. This collector’s book is available in both South Africa and in Europe.
I had the pleasure of talking to Jan Hendrik about his new plans a few weeks ago (see the video below), and to spend some one-on-one time with a young South African food icon and pioneer in his field. It was utterly refreshing to experience Jan Hendrik’s solid sense of self and his brilliant sense of humour. What a delightful conversation! I hope you enjoy the video – we shared a few light hearted moments that I’ll treasure forever.
#kleinjan #tswalu #JAN