With a mantelpiece of awards and a dining room that’s never empty of savvy locals and hungry travellers, it’s with good reason that Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia is hailed as one of the best fine-dining restaurants in the Cape. Since 2016 chef-patron Ivor Jones has led the kitchen here in creating a memorable dining experience that is consistently curated and inspired, without fuss on the plate or fawning service. It is, I’ll admit, my go-to recommendation for fine dining in the city.
And now Jones’ pedigree has been recognised with an invitation to join 20 other world-class chefs – boasting 27 Michelin stars between them - to cook at the United Kingdom’s iconic culinary gathering, Northcote Obsession.
‘When Lisa asked me to be a part of this event, I fell off my chair,’ said Jones.
Hosted in England’s Ribble Valley, Obsession launched at luxury hotel Northcote – in the scenic county of Lancashire – in 2001 as a celebration of great food and fine wine. The event celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025, with Northcote executive chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen curating the collection of chefs who will take over the kitchen for this 17-night festival of fine fare.
And while Jones will be serving a menu filled with many of his favourite dishes from Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia on February 7, he’ll be in good company as the Northcote kitchen welcomes some of the world’s most celebrated chefs.
This year the menu of culinary talents includes Alain Roux of The Waterside Inn in Bray (three Michelin stars), Hélène Darroze and Marco Zampese of Hélène Darroze at The Connaught in London (three stars), Ed Wilson of Brawn in London, Yannick Alléno of Pavyllon in London (one star) and Alléno Paris (3 star), amongst others.
For Jones, who has cooked in many of South Africa’s top kitchens before opening Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia, the invitation to Northcote is nothing short of a career highlight: ‘I’ve watched many of these incredible chefs from afar my whole life and never thought I’d ever cook at an event that includes them. I am so grateful for this opportunity as well as really excited to get tucked into some of the incredible UK produce. I’m also really looking forward to the camaraderie: it’s an exciting social gathering for the industry.’
As Jones jets off, there’s good news for local foodies. While Jones’ menu at Obsession is being offered at a cool £220 per person, or roughly R5100 a head, in Cape Town the four-course set menu at Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia is a relative bargain at just R1100 per person! They've also just launched a new wine-focused dining experience, in a gorgeous private dining space!
No surprise that Chefs Warehouse ranks amongst the Best Restaurants in Cape Town!