Homegrown - Bertus Basson (First edition)

Bertus Basson is probably best known to most South Africans as the easy-going, knowledgeable judge on the reality TV cooking show The Ultimate Braai Master. Away from the glare of the lights though, he is a hard-working restaurateur and chef with four restaurants, a catering company and a growing family to love and cuddle.

He really got his start at the age of 19 when he worked at the Michelin-starred Chez Bruce in London, and at 37, he is still obsessed with putting the perfect dish on the table for patrons. Bertus's restaurants have received numerous local awards, including 8 'top ten' slots from Eat Out, as well as American Express Awards and Rossouw's Restaurant Guide accolades. Overture, his fine dining, destination restaurant on Hidden Valley wine estate in Stellenbosch, is probably his most noted eatery to date, but each of his venues picks up acclaim and accolades as they grow and develop. The man just loves to cook.