The 2020 edition of the Michelin guide to Great Britain and Ireland was recently released, and it brought with it great news for SA: Cape Town chef Jean Delport’s Restaurant Interlude has been awarded its first Michelin star.
After wowing Somerset West’s residents at Benguela on Main, SA’s own Jean Delport has achieved top honours when his team at Restaurant Interlude was awarded their first Michelin star. The team, consisting primarily of South Africans, received the news on Monday, October 7, 2019 when the United Kindom’s Michelin guide’s Twitter announced its latest winners. This honour is a first for the restaurant and chef Jean Delport. Restaurant Interlude is located within the historic woodland gardens of Leonardslee Gardens in South East England, and is Delport’s first restaurant.
The Restaurant’s website reads “Our menu is guided by what is available in our garden, we strive to build our pantry through patient harvesting and preservation, taking food back to basics and showcasing old traditional produce where possible. The restaurant shows clear naturalistic influences from the items on the menu to the decor and colour scheme.”
According to the Michelin Guide “You’ll find this intimate restaurant in a listed mansion in Leonardslee Gardens. The team hails from South Africa but the two surprise tasting menus keep their focus firmly on the local area. Skilfully crafted dishes show good balance in their textures and flavours, and have a creative, original style.”
Delport is the second South African chef to earn a Michelin star. The first was Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, whose restaurant, JAN, located in Nice, France, holds a one-star rating.