Hailing from Durban, but now based in Muizenberg, Chef Oliver Swart chats about his food journey.
With a passion for food starting at the age of 7, when he got a frying pan for his birthday & remembering being fascinated whilst watching his mother cook, Swart comes from a family of foodies. Both his parents cooked back at home, with his Dad making a mean Durban style curry & as he put it; "my mom is really great with dressings, sauces & Asian dishes."
After studying civil engineering at 1st, he changed it up when relocating to Cape Town, where he studied Grande Diploma at Silwood School of Cookery & since then he has gone off to work at some of the most prestigious restaurants in South Africa namely, The Test Kitchen, La Colombe & the Pot Luck Club.
With a food philosophy of "Great seasonal produce, simplicity & just keep it real," you know that this is someone who is going to give you something incredible with foods that he believes to be underrated. So expect chicken, cabbage & gem squash.
When talking food trends, Swart mentions that minimal, artisan, raw, vegan & Ayurvedic foods are currently the hottest topics & giving you less choices on menus at restaurants. And in the kitchen you'll find him making use of his chef's knife & mandolin slicer.
Dim sum. The one thing that Swart still wants to master one day, but unfortunately you won't get those pockets filled with prawns, crayfish & crab as he is allergic to them. But maybe he will surprise you with some interesting combinations using his favourite ingredients; lemon, fresh herbs & olive oil?
So he is currently putting together the menu for the Cape Wine Auction, & I believe that it could be quite intimidating, but not him, & as he says: "I write menus everyday, as all our events are customised, so I guess I'm used to it."
When talking about mentors, icons & inspirations, a few of the big names come up - Luke Dale-Roberts, Wesley Randles, Thomas Keller, Jamie Oliver, David Change & Marco Pierre White to name but just a few.
Words of wisdom to a young, ambitious chef just getting started - "Only get into this industry if you are obsessed with food. It's hard work, but if you love food, it's so much fun."
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