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“Chefs are key to driving change, creating seafood dishes that inspire and create awareness!”
– Pavs Pillay, WWF-SASSI Manager
Chefs play a vital role as key influencers in the food, culinary and hospitality industries, shaping market and food trends significantly. By exploring a variety of seafood options, chefs not only broaden consumers’ culinary experiences but can help transform the fishing industry and safeguard our oceans and its resources. Chefs who advocate for sustainable seafood practices and only serve ocean friendly seafood contribute to the availability of fish for future generations to relish.
When chefs choose sustainable seafood, they directly shape the seafood supply chain and when they ask the three WWF-SASSI questions when procuring seafood (What species is it?, How was it caught or farmed? And Where does it come from?) they encourage seafood suppliers and producers to increase their transparency, allow for better traceability and move the supply chain toward offering high-quality, sustainable seafood products. Using ocean-friendly species pushes chefs to be more creative and inspires them to create new seafood dishes with unfamiliar and underutilised species opening up their menu offerings and challenging other chefs to push the culinary boundaries – allowing for new gastronomic experiences.
When chefs and restaurants make the public more aware of the environmental impacts of serving species out of season or species that are regarded as unsustainable, it benefits not only the fish species but will have long-term impact on the oceans’ health and have far-reaching socio-economic consequences for the fishing industry and people’s livelihoods.
Every restaurant and its staff have the power to make a difference and you and your establishment become known as a chef that cares for our planet and future seafood lovers!
Sustainable seafood is more than just advocating for the protection of the marine resources, there is a strong business case to be made across the entire supply and value chains within the hospitality industry. More and more chefs are being seen as the new “rockstars” of the world with global platforms like MasterChef, Ultimate Braai Master and other cooking shows reaching new popularity heights and attracting new audiences, both local and global. These platforms coupled with social media has catapulted chefs into the limelight. Through these channels chefs can make significant changes in the industry from raising awareness about sustainable seafood to shifting people’s behaviour.
Working beyond the kitchen, chefs can contribute to national and provincial food policies and advocate for changes in the food system , such as better legislation around food labelling, curbing food loss and waste, and ensuring that suppliers are transparent whilst reporting the sale of illegal or specially protected species. Chefs have a unique yet important story to tell and can help shift systems beyond the culinary and hospitality industry.
WWF-SASSI recognises industry-leading chefs that are engaged in promoting sustainable seafood and honours chefs who take responsibility for seafood choices in their kitchens.
Our WWF-SASSI chef champions are culinary trailblazers who implement seafood sustainability in their restaurants, tell their clients, staff and suppliers about their seafood sustainability practices and inspire consumers by spreading the WWF-SASSI message via social media, events and TV appearances.
Andrea has been working in the food industry since the mid-90s when she started moonlighting in a friends’ restaurants and writing about food for various local publications. She opened her first restaurant, Superbonbon, in 1999 with her husband Nicholas and was the chef The Leopard. Andrea’s style of cooking is influenced by the food of Johannesburg’s various communities, from Cantonese and Pakistani to Mozambican and Italian – and she particularly loves to cook with fresh mussels. Andrea now works as a consultant chefs specializing in sustainability.
Chef Andrew Atkinson is a renowned TV chef, presenter and is one of the most experienced 5* hotel chefs in South Africa. Andrew took up the role of Masterchef SA judge for several seasons, when not cooking up a storm on many a TV screen and he has also cooked for an extensive list of international celebrities. Now he is Executive Chef at Shalati, Kruger National Park where green listed fish takes pride of place on his menus.
Chef and Owner Ash Heeger was born in Mthatha and raised in Cape Town. Ash knew she wanted to be a professional chef by the time she was ten years old. No other career was ever an option for her. Ash earned her laurels at the Test Kitchen. She followed this up in London with stints at the Ledbury in Notting Hill and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Back in Cape Town she is has just opened her 2nd restaurant called Riverine Rabbit. Sustainability is in the heart and soul of the food which Ash is dishing up.
Overture has been named in South Africa’s Top Ten restaurants five times under Bertus Basson’s leadership as head chef and owner. He is committed to great food made with fresh, local ingredients and earned his title as a SASSI Trailblazer by serving only sustainable fish on his menu. He believes Cape Town’s growing reputation for excellent restaurants is due to the high quality, diverse produce readily available to chefs.
As owner and executive chef of The Millhouse, Bjorn is one of South Africa’s youngest head chefs. He has cooked alongside some of the biggest names in food including Peter Templehoff, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Ronnie Bonetti. His French and Italian themed menu is created trying to use ingredients sourced within a 50km radius of the restaurant, making the most of fresh and seasonal local produce.
A celebrated bistro chef, Brad Ball was awarded WWF SASSI Trailblazer status during his successful five years at the helm of the award-winning Bistro Sixteen82. In 2014 he took over Peddlars & Co, where he has once again committed to serving only sustainable seafood choices in each of the four new restaurants he has created under the Peddlars umbrella. He’s personally so committed to being a Trailblazer, he will not even consider cooking with anything that isn’t on the green list.
Carl was the Head Chef at the Vineyard Hotel, Cape Town when he received this award. Carl was born in Zimbabwe and started his career as a chef while he was in the South African Navy. His hobbies include running, reading and researching. Carl’s favourite fish to cook with is trout and he believes freshness is key to any cooking.
Carolize Coetzee hails from Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape and she takes her inspiration from heirloom recipes from her mother and her grandmother. Her most cherished food memories are rooted in traditional, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. With her dedication to South African flavours, sustainability frames her cooking. The organic vegetable garden attached to the restaurant puts sustainability and ethical practices at the centre of the kitchen at Tokara.
Chris Erasmus recently left his position as the head chef at Pierneef a la Motte to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant. His new venture is called Foliage and he will continue to pursue his passion of sustainable products, which saw him named a SASSI Trailblazer while still with Pierneef. Chris is a big fan of foraging for ingredients. His true passion lies in promoting the local food community to diners and the food industry, and being an integral part of a new food awakening in Africa.
Christian Campbell has been heading up the kitchen at Delaire Graaff Estate for the past five years. He has a very holistic and purist approach to food, and takes sustainability very seriously on a personal and professional level. One of his favourite dishes to serve is hake and chips, and that is about as sustainable as you get. He has recently moved to Boschendal Wine Estate.
Chef Christina Semczyszyn was appointed head chef at Tjing Tjing Cape Town in 2014. Since then this hotspot has been winning awards under her watch. She oversees 3 floors of Japanese culinary delights.After studying cooking at Alfresco in East London she spent time cheffing in London UK honing her craft. This chef is truly passionate about using sustainable seafood.
Since taking over the kitchen, he as supported the local farming community and believes in “keeping ingredients honest and in their purest form.” His cuisine is influenced by international tastes, using fresh produce and sustainable seafood. Christo has won several awards as a young chef on the rise and has worked all over South Africa, the UK and on luxury yachts in Florida.
*Disclaimer: WWF-SASSI does not endorse or certify restaurants/businesses/establishments but rather works with culinary champions to improve their sustainable seafood offerings and reduce demand for exploited species. The WWF-SASSI logo should not be on menus or displayed in restaurants, please let us know if you see this by emailing us at [email protected]
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