Flavour for ward

My love for food and cooking stems from my childhood, growing up in Norwood, Northern Johannesburg, during the transition of power from the all-white National Party to Mandela’s African National Congress. An exciting and terrifying time to be alive.

Living life in Norwood, a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood, was integral to my passion for food and cooking. I was surrounded by the best Jewish delis and bakeries, punctuated with stellar Greek and Italian joints and, most importantly, Portuguese pubs and corner stores.

I grew up as an only child within a South African family. My mother Gail, a patient and formidable woman, was an expat from Scotland. Her biggest influence on me wasn’t so much culinary, but openness and acceptance.

My late father, an incredible man with a large personality, was equally feared