“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.
Locally trained at the Institute of Culinary Arts in Stellenbosch, Tanja has made a name for herself competing in international culinary competitions around the world. She has worked at Lanzerac, the Radisson, Five Flies and Hunter’s Country House before taking on the role of executive Chef at Majeka House in 2011. Her French inspired menu is built around seasonal, sustainable ingredients.
Vanessa Marx, a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Art, has a particular interest in creating healthy and allergen-free dishes, which brought her high acclaim during her time as Head Chef at Dear Me. Vanessa’s passion lies in creating dishes using sustainable, seasonal and locally produced products and to encourage people to think about what they are eating, how it was produced and where it comes from.
Xavier Francis grew up in the idyllic coastal city of Durban, South Africa – perhaps the origin for his love of seafood. Xavier enjoys creating new dishes, which serve as an expression of his childhood memories. When creating a new dish, he will always start with a core component and builds the dish around that. “I’ll create the dish, then I’ll strip it down. This shows our skill and our care and also means that there is no wastage with produce.” He is acutely aware that the seafood produce which he purchases, cooks and serves makes a difference with regards to sustainability.
Chef Zana is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
She runs her own food production and catering company, Mestizo, focusing on private dining experiences, events, and corporate catering. She recently entered the retail space with a premium range of ready-to-use pantry products, The Zana Alvarado Collection.
Her food philosophy is largely influenced by her travels around the world, environmental health, and centres entirely on farm-to-table and sustainability.
Prior to changing her career to the culinary industry, Chef Zana was also a seasoned media specialist and on-air presenter having worked in both radio and television and for the global brand, Disney, as a marketing strategist in the UK.
In addition, she is a food social media influencer, published author, and 2023 Champion of the BRM National Burger Challenge.
With a personality that packs a lot of flavour and an inescapable passion for food, Nene swapped her B Comm. Law studies for the invigorating smells of the kitchen, forking good times that have lead to a successful culinary career spanning over 10 years. In 2016, she branched out and joined TV judge, Tjaart Walraven, and comedian, Anne Hirsch, and Lentswe Bhengu as co-presenters in the third season of BBC Worldwide Africa’s The Great South African Bake Off, which premiered in October 2017 on BBC Lifestyle (DStv 174). Raising the bar in 2018, Nene joined wedding planner Zavion Kotze, former Miss South Africa Bernelee Daniell and socialite Denise Zimba in a special instalment of M-Net’s Wedding Bashers franchise entitled, Wedding Bashers Specials: With Love. Staying on course in maintaining a simple golden standard, Nene was appointed as the Cape Town restaurant’s editor for the prestigious Eat Out magazine. Nene’s infectious love for cooking bubbled over in her latest venture that sees her whip up hearty meals and share warm laughs with South Africa’s brightest stars in her own cooking show, Celeb Feasts with Zola, on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161).
*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]
