Top British chef begins filming 10-part TV show exploring South Africa’s diverse culinary traditions
Filming has started on a new 10-part television food series – A Taste of South Africa – with well-known British chef Matt Tebbutt as the show’s presenter.
Produced by South African production company Oxyg3n Media, makers of shows including as Married at First Sight SA and Brent Owens Extreme, Authentic, Unwrapped, A Taste of South Africa has already been snapped up by Discovery (for Africa and Poland) as well as by British network UKTV. Further international sales are currently being concluded.
A Taste of South Africa will follow Tebbutt as he travels across the country discovering and exploring the diversity and flavour of the local foods that the southern tip of Africa has to offer. In the course of his journey, Tebbutt will sample regional specialties and explore and savour food and drink rich with traditional heritage and culture. With his anthropological background, Tebbutt will peel back the history of South African cuisine from its historic beginnings up until today, speaking to, and cooking with, locals and uncovering fascinating food stories.
These include the likes of Xoliswa Ndoyiya, Mandela’s personal chef; Mimi Jardim, doyenne of Portuguese South African cooking and author of the bestselling Cooking the Portuguese Way; Mpho Tshukudu, co-author of the recent best-selling cookbook Eat-Ting; acclaimed Burundian chef Coco Reinharz co-author, with Anna Trapido (who is also creatively involved in the series), of To the Banqueting House: African Cuisine an Epic Journey and many more.
Tebbutt will traverse the country – from Gauteng to the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Western and Eastern Cape, looking at the history of ingredients and recipes of local foodstuffs such as Sorghum, Maize, Piri Piri, Chisa Nyama, Bunny Chow, Umphokoqo, Koeksusters, Waterblommetjie Bredie and many more.
Producer Rebecca Fuller-Campbell said: “South Africa provides a culturally diverse, exciting, engaging and exquisite environment in which to pursue the love of food. The fascinating history of this country and the sheer variety of cultures means that every episode will offer a fresh and different look at the rich gastronomic traditions of the country.”
Tebbutt said: “This is the show that I’ve always wanted to make. To explore, learn, taste and understand such a totally diverse country such as South Africa is a really exciting prospect for me. I want to meet the people behind the food, to learn about the history of the dishes and to cook alongside them and expand my own knowledge of the local cuisine.”
Matt Tebbutt, 42, is a British chef and television food presenter best known for presenting shows such as Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped and Drop Down Menu, the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and the Good Food channel’s Market Kitchen.
