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A Table in the Corner

Russel Wasserfall Media

A Table in the Corner is the space where Russel Wasserfall chats to people in the food industry about their passion and their take on the business of eating. Russel has worked in the media and food space for over 3 decades. He's run bars, restaurants and a confectionery factory, written for dozens of food and travel publications and made a bunch of cookbooks. His show is about the nitty-gritty of the food trade in all its forms. Top chefs, food artisans, proprietors, bakers, farmers, foragers, cheesemakers, writers, photographers, bloggers... you name it. If they’re involved in the food industry, you will meet them with Russel at A Table in the Corner.

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21 episodes
Avg 29 min
English

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S2 · E49
Monday · 18 min
S2-49. CW Beau Constantia - Ivor Jones
In this bonus episode of A Table in the Corner, Jonathan Warncke and I chat to chef Ivor Jones at Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia, shortly before we sit down to eat his winter menu. Ivor has just returned from an intensive five-week trip, including three weeks in Thailand studying regional Thai cooking, and we talk about what he brought back with him. We get into the difference between Thai food as it is understood in the West and the cooking Ivor encountered in Thailand, as well as how travel, seasonality and new techniques feed into his constantly changing menus. Ivor also talks about ten years at Beau Constantia, why he avoids signature dishes, his focus on keeping his kitchen team creatively engaged and why winter has become an opportunity to experiment rather than simply a quieter season to get through. (You can see the CW Beau Constantia Winter Menu episode of Table For Two on our Table Talk Youtube channel here.) www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E48
August 18 · 30 min
S2-48. Voyager Piketberg - Don Albert
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Don Albert, the person behind The Voyager, a new boutique hotel in Piketberg. Designed and built by Don and his partner Reece, it is the latest iteration of a concept that Don first developed in Bali, built around hospitality, food and cultural exchange. We talk about why Piketberg made sense after a decade spent looking for the right place to build again, and how the Voyager idea has evolved through Don’s experiences of living, working and eating around the world. Food is central to the conversation, from the Indonesian influences that shaped Don’s cooking to the way Voyager uses food as a way of connecting with a place and its people. We also talk about what happens when a hospitality project arrives in a small town and discovers that the local community is more curious and receptive than expected. Don also has some thoughts on place-making, public spaces, tourism and the role hospitality can play in creating stronger local economies. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E47
August 14 · 16 min
S2-47. Datterino - Giovanni Calvani
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Giovanni Calvani of Datterino, a Roman-style cafeteria and pizzeria in Cape Town’s New Riverlands Mall. Giovanni grew up in Italy and has brought a very different style of pizza to Cape Town: pinza romana, an oval-shaped pizza made with a highly hydrated dough, long fermentation and a blend of flours. We talk about why his original pizza al taglio concept didn’t immediately find an audience, how he adapted the idea for the local market, and the thinking behind Datterino’s all-day café approach. We also get into the regional differences in Italian food, the role of ancient grains and long fermentation in his dough, and why he thinks Cape Town is ready for more than just Neapolitan pizza. This episode is part of Pizza Sessions, our video series exploring the people, places and different styles shaping Cape Town’s pizza culture, brought to you by Banhoek Chilli Oil. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E46
August 11 · 35 min
S2-46. Food Fanatics - Elaine Rousseau
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Elaine Rousseau of Food Fanatics and Homestead Venue about a career in hospitality that began almost by accident and has grown into catering, events, mentoring and community food projects. Elaine traces her journey from learning the trade at the Swartland Hotel and working at Paddagang Restaurant in Tulbagh, to starting Food Fanatics in 1998. We talk about the practical realities of catering, the importance of logistics and site visits, and the role she has played in mentoring young chefs, including Clara Bubenzer of the Lebanese Bakery. We also talk about the GRAPA Garden, a community vegetable garden in Plumstead that has turned a neglected piece of city land into a productive growing space, employing two people and involving around 30 volunteers. Elaine explains why keeping produce affordable and making the garden genuinely accessible to the surrounding community matters to her. And finally, we talk about Homestead, the venue she developed as a home for Food Fanatics, and how the business has evolved from predominantly off-site catering to a combination of events, Friday pop-ups and public food occasions. It's a conversation about hospitality as work, business, teaching and community, and the people who make all of those things possible. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E45
August 4 · 19 min
S2-45. Kerston Foods - Richard Kershaw
What keeps a restaurant running and the dishes seamlessly appearing on tables? You seldom bump into a chef pushing a trolley around a supermarket shopping for the next service, so how do the ingredients get into their kitchens? In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Richard Kershaw, co-founder of Kerston Foods, which has quietly stocked the pantry of Cape Town's hospitality industry for more than 30 years. Richard offers a rare perspective on the restaurant business, from sourcing ingredients and supporting small producers to navigating COVID, sustainability and the changing needs of chefs. We also explore the relationships that underpin hospitality, why service extends far beyond the dining room and what it takes to keep hundreds of kitchens stocked, one delivery at a time. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E44
July 28 · 44 min
S2-44. Unexplored Cape Town - Dennis Molewa
If you think you know Cape Town's food scene, this conversation might make you think again. In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with Dennis Molewa, founder of Unexplored Cape Town, whose work takes visitors beyond the city's celebrated restaurants into the cafés, markets and neighbourhood kitchens where many of the city's brown and immigrant communities eat every day. Dennis explains how growing up in multicultural Frankfurt, working in hospitality and later settling in South Africa led him to explore the city through its food. We discuss Malay and Xhosa restaurants, Somali cafés, Ethiopian eteries, West African kitchens, the remarkable food market around the Bellville Transport Interchange and why so much of Cape Town's culinary life remains invisible to both tourists and many locals. Our conversation also looks at food tourism, heritage and the role restaurants play in preserving culture. Dennis argues that tourism can be a force for inclusion by supporting small food businesses and creating opportunities for people whose stories are rarely told. It's a thoughtful discussion about identity, migration, public space and why some of the city's most rewarding meals are found well beyond the familiar dining guides. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E43
July 23 · 27 min
S2-43. Pizza Sessions 04 - Novo Pizza + Wine
This episode of A Table in the Corner is another in our Pizza Sessions series, supported by Banhoek Chilli Oil. So naturally, I arrived at Novo Pizza + Wine with a box of Banhoek under my arm, ready to talk pizza with owners Ammy and Arno, and to discover why so many Capetonians had told me, "You have to put Novo on your list." Novo Pizza + Wine is a neighbourhood pizzeria in Mowbray built around the simple idea that great pizza brings people together. Ammy and Arno share the story of creating the kind of local restaurant they wanted for their own community. We talk about the challenge of finding great pizzaiolos, learning the craft from the ground up, and how inspiration from Burrata, Massimo's and travels through Italy helped shape the pizzas they serve today. We also explore what makes a neighbourhood restaurant thrive, from sourcing exceptional ingredients and building relationships with regular customers to creating pizzas that people return for week after week. Along the way we discuss long-fermented dough, Cape Town's evolving pizza culture, the story behind Novo's cult favourite Fellini pizza, and, of course, whether chilli oil deserves a place on every slice. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E42
July 21 · 25 min
S2-42. Lebanese Bakery - Clara Bubenzer
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with chef Clara Bubenzer, co-owner of The Lebanese Bakery, a certified halaal bakery and deli with branches in Claremont and Cape Town's East City. Clara trained in fine dining kitchens before finding her way into Middle Eastern food through a career that took her from Cairo to Jack Black Brewing Co., before an unexpected opportunity led her to the bakery. We talk about how the business evolved from a small bakery into a deli serving shawarmas, falafel, dips and Lebanese pantry staples, and how Covid unexpectedly accelerated that transformation. Clara explains the influence of Egyptian and Lebanese cooking on the menu, the importance of sourcing the right ingredients and why products like their pita breads and shawarmas have developed such a loyal following. We also discuss kitchen culture, leadership and hospitality. Clara reflects on rejecting the aggressive brigade system she experienced early in her career in favour of building a workplace based on respect, trust and positive reinforcement. It's a conversation about food, business and creating a neighbourhood bakery people return to week after week. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E41
July 14 · 31 min
S2-41. Vadivelu - Tim Wyatt-Gunning
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, brought to you with the kind collaboration of Kirston Foods, I chat to Tim Wyatt-Gunning, co-founder of Vadivelu, the contemporary South African Indian restaurant on Cape Town's Kloof Street. With a background in banking, telecommunications and technology, Tim's move into hospitality was unexpected. Together with his brother-in-law, chef Jason Moodley, he's helping to tell a new chapter in the story of South African Indian cuisine, rooted in family recipes but unafraid to reinterpret tradition. We explore the evolution of Durban curry, why Jason describes their food as authentically South African rather than authentically Indian, and how dishes like crayfish curry, crab curry and even a crayfish bunny chow reflect the creativity that has always been part of this country's Indian food culture. Tim also explains why the restaurant's constantly changing specials board has become one of its greatest strengths. Our conversation ranges beyond the food to the realities of opening and growing a successful independent restaurant. Tim reflects on what he brought from the corporate world, why hospitality is built on relationships as much as recipes, and the importance of creating a restaurant people want to return to again and again. We also discuss ‘Shy Elephant’, Vadivelu's house Indian lager, the role of regular customers in building a business, and why generosity remains at the heart of great hospitality. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E40
July 10 · 29 min
S2-40. Pizza Sessions 03 - Pizzasaurus
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Brad Berman, the founder of Pizzasaurus, a vegan pizzeria on Cape Town's Harrington Street that sees every pizza served as a small moment of activism. For Brad, plant-based cooking isn't about sacrifice or preaching. It's about proving that food can be indulgent, deeply satisfying and a little kinder to the planet at the same time. We explore how he set out to reinvent one of the world's most beloved comfort foods, developing his own fermented vegan cheeses, slow-proofed doughs and house-made sauces while partnering with specialist producers to create convincing plant-based alternatives to traditional pizza toppings. Brad explains why he believes great vegan food should stand on its own merits, rather than being judged as a substitute for something else. Our conversation also touches on the realities of running a niche restaurant, the changing fortunes of vegan dining in South Africa and why Harrington Street has become one of Cape Town's most exciting food precincts. Along the way we discuss food systems, sustainability and whether one great slice of pizza might just change a few minds. As always, Pizza Sessions is brought to you by Banhoek Chilli Oil: The perfect way to finish every slice. Whether you’re vegan, vegan-curious or simply love a good pizza, this is a fascinating conversation about food, hospitality and challenging assumptions, one slice at a time. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E39
July 7 · 21 min
S2-39. East City Grill + Yakiniku - Jaycee Ferreira
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with chef Jaycee Ferreira of East City Grill & Yakiniku in Cape Town’s growing Harrington Street precinct. We explore why so many chefs are drawn to Japan, and how a trip to Tokyo opened JayCee’s eyes to a side of Japanese food culture far beyond sushi. We talk about his journey into hospitality, the challenge of combining a steakhouse and a traditional yakiniku experience under one roof, and the farm-to-fork philosophy behind the restaurant’s own Wagyu beef programme. Along the way, we discuss umami, nose-to-tail cooking, restaurant precincts, and why Japanese cuisine continues to inspire chefs around the world. A thoughtful conversation about food, culture, craft and finding new ways to tell familiar stories through cooking. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E38
July 2 · 33 min
S2-38. Pizza Sessions 02 - Ferdinando's
Born in San Pellegrino Terme and arriving in Cape Town with his South African partner in 2011, Diego Milesi talks about building Ferdinando’s from a tiny pop-up operation in the Cape Quarter into a loud, chaotic, deeply loved community institution in Observatory. This conversation goes far beyond toppings and dough. We get into the roots of Neapolitan pizza, the obsession with fermentation and hydration, the difference between traditional and contemporary Napoli styles, and why Diego still believes pizza is fundamentally poor people’s food: something made to bring people together rather than impress them. We also talk about the culture around Ferdinando’s itself. The music, the cocktails, the packed tables, the sense of belonging and the restaurant’s long-running association with Pasta Kitchen, a community project legacy of Diego’s late partner Kimon, which feeds and connects with vulnerable people living on the streets around Observatory. Along the way there are debates about banana on pizza, artisanal mozzarella, South African ingredients, Italian food purism and why Diego believes the atmosphere around a pizza can matter as much as the pizza itself. Pizza Sessions is sponsored by Banhoek Chilli Oil and will also be launching as a video series on the A Table in the Corner YouTube channel. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E37
June 30 · 28 min
S2-37. Zuney Burger - Henning Klopper
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with Henning Klopper, co-founder of Zuney Burger, to explore how a small farm-to-fork burger business from the Eastern Cape grew into one of Cape Town's most talked-about restaurant brands, and my absolute favourite burger. Fresh off recognition from Time Out as one of the world's best burger restaurants and a place on the 101 World's Best Burgers list, Henning reflects on the attention with characteristic humility, insisting there's still plenty to learn. Our conversation goes well beyond burgers. We talk about building a business around the family's Wagyu cattle, respecting every stage of the value chain, why consistency matters more than perfection, and the realities of growing from a single shop to multiple locations without compromising quality. Henning also shares insights into restaurant economics, central production kitchens, equipment, sourcing and why telling customers the truth about your ingredients is always the best strategy. It's an honest conversation about craftsmanship, hospitality and entrepreneurship, and about building a restaurant brand that grows by staying true to its values rather than chasing trends. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E36
June 25 · 24 min
S2-36. Pizza Sessions 01 - Pizza Shed
Welcome to my audio podcast companion to The Pizza Sessions - a Banhoek Chilli Oil partner series where we explore the people, ingredients and craftsmanship behind some of Cape Town's best pizzas. In this episode I chat to James Williams and Tando Bavuma of Pizza Shed. The two friends built a backyard COVID project into one of the city's most-loved pizzerias, and we talk about their approach to quality ingredients and what goes into creating the perfect slice. Watch the full episode now on YouTube https://youtu.be/Zgg-8e1ags4 and stay tuned as we continue our search for our favourite pizza. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E35
June 23 · 37 min
S2-35. Taquerias & Tequila - Nic Haarhoff
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with restaurateur and entrepreneur Nic Haarhoff, best known as the founder of El Burro and the fun-and-funky trimmed down taquerias in Greenpont and Tamboerskloof. He’s an operator I admire, and predictably our chat soon digs deeper than tacos and tequila. Nic reflects on the evolution of Cape Town’s restaurant scene over the past fifteen years, from the boom years of packed dining rooms and waiting lists to the far more complex trading environment operators face today. We talk about why he scaled down from a large, high-volume restaurant model to the smaller, more focused taquerias, and how simplicity, flexibility and controlling costs have become essential survival tools in modern hospitality. Along the way, we explore some of the pressures reshaping the city’s food landscape: rising property costs, the impact of Airbnb on neighbourhood economies, seasonal tourism, restaurant oversupply and the challenge of staying afloat during increasingly difficult winters. Nic offers a thoughtful operator’s perspective on what has changed, what still works and where Cape Town may be heading. We also discuss his parallel business, Groundswell Brands, which imports and distributes tequila, spirits and cocktail products, and how diversification beyond restaurants has become part of his long-term strategy. This is an honest, practical conversation about hospitality, business and adaptation from someone who has spent almost two decades navigating Cape Town’s ever-changing restaurant landscape. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E34
June 16 · 41 min
S2-34. CW Beau Constantia - Liam Tomlin
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with chef and restaurateur Liam Tomlin. It was supposed to be a chat about the milestone ten years of Chef’s Warehouse at Beau Constantia, but we leapt into meatier matters. I also discovered that Thali is ten this year too, having opened within weeks of Beau. What follows is less a conversation about individual restaurants and more a look at the extraordinary influence Liam has had on Cape Town’s dining landscape over the past two decades. From a tiny cookery school and deli in a house off Buitensingel Street, Chef’s Warehouse has grown into a group of nine restaurants spanning Cape Town, the Winelands and even Hamburg, Germany. Along the way, Liam has helped shape not only restaurants, but a generation of chefs. We talk about the people who have passed through his kitchens, including chefs such as John van Zyl, Jason Kosmas, Ivor Jones and many others who have gone on to lead some of South Africa’s most respected restaurants. Liam reflects on mentorship, partnership and why giving talented chefs room to grow has been central to the success of the Chef’s Warehouse group. The conversation also explores the realities of running restaurants in 2026. We discuss rising costs, winter trading, the pressures facing hospitality businesses around the world and why maintaining quality has become more challenging than ever. Liam shares his thoughts on restaurant specials, staff retention, customer expectations and the constant balancing act required to keep great restaurants alive. We also touched on his years in Australia, the evolution of Cape Town as a global food destination and his latest project: a boutique hotel that will add yet another chapter to an already remarkable career. If you've ever wondered how Chef’s Warehouse became one of the defining restaurant groups in South Africa, or how a single chef’s influence can ripple through an entire dining scene, this is a conversation well worth hearing. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E33
June 9 · 22 min
S2-33. Table For Two - Jonathan Warncke
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, the tables are turned as I sit down with my friend, collaborator and occasional culinary guinea pig, Jonathan Warncke. Best known as chairman of the South African Podcasters Guild, Jonathan has recently stepped into the food world as my co-host on Table for Two, our new YouTube series exploring some of Cape Town’s most interesting restaurants. We talk about the origins of the show, why a self-confessed fussy eater who had never tasted oysters, prawns or mussels agreed to become the audience proxy on a food programme, and what happens when curiosity collides with a tasting menu. Jonathan reflects on his first encounters with ingredients he’d spent a lifetime avoiding, and why some experiences have changed his mind while others have only confirmed his suspicions. The conversation also wanders through his years living in Japan, his love of restaurants despite his selective palate, the surprising nuances of taste, and the strange experience of being recognised in public only weeks after Table for Two launched. Along the way we discuss food media, restaurant culture, the future of our growing collection of video projects and why great hospitality is about far more than what lands on the plate. If you've watched Table for Two and wondered who the guy in the red glasses is, this is your chance to find out. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E32
June 2 · 32 min
S2-32. Three Wise Monkeys + Ora - Ricky Simon
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with restaurateur Ricky Simon, the driving force behind Cape Town favourites Three Wise Monkeys, Una Más and the soon-to-opened Ora in Sea Point. Ricky grew up in the restaurant business. His father introduced the Mongolian barbecue concept to South Africa in the late 1980s, and some of Ricky’s earliest memories are of restaurant kitchens, dining rooms and the rhythms of hospitality. That upbringing shaped the way he thinks about food, service and the experience of eating out. Our conversation explores what makes a restaurant work beyond the food on the plate. We talk about location, atmosphere, community and why some restaurants become institutions while others disappear within a few years. Ricky shares his philosophy of creating smaller, more intimate spaces, building long-term relationships with staff and guests, and designing restaurants that people genuinely want to return to. We also discuss the evolution of Three Wise Monkeys, the lessons learned from a decade of trading in Sea Point and the thinking behind Ora, his new Mediterranean-inspired project that draws influence from across the countries that touch the Mediterranean rather than following a single culinary tradition. Along the way, we chat about family businesses, staff retention, restaurant culture and the realities of a profession that demands long hours, personal sacrifice and a genuine love of looking after people. It’s a conversation about hospitality as craft, restaurants as places of memory and why the best operators are often thinking about much more than what’s on the menu. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E31
May 26 · 26 min
S2-31. Hunt & Gather - Richard Bosman
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with charcutier Richard Bosman to talk about Hunt & Gather, the new biltong project he has developed with Jerome Gluckman. Richard has spent years working with cured meats, preservation and the science behind flavour. With Hunt & Gather, he turns that knowledge towards one of South Africa’s most iconic foods, asking what biltong might look like if it were made with fewer shortcuts and a much cleaner ingredient list. We talk about grass-fed beef from the Eastern Cape, probiotic cultures, polyphenols extracted from fruit and why so much packaged biltong contains ingredients most people would not expect to find there. Richard explains how the product is designed to retain the flavour and texture of traditional biltong while avoiding chemical preservatives, gluten and the batch-pack approach common in commercial production. The conversation also reaches back to Ötzi the Iceman, early forms of preserved meat and the long human history of drying, curing and carrying protein. From there, we get into mould, shelf life, Worcester sauce made from scratch and the practical challenge of taking a cleaner, more considered biltong to market. It’s a conversation about craft, chemistry, curiosity and a South African staple being rethought by someone who understands preservation from the inside. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay
S2 · E30
May 19 · 42 min
S2-30. Farro - Alex Windebank
In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with Alex Windebank of Farro, the small, open-kitchen restaurant just off Dunkley Square that recently had to close when the building’s utilities were cut due to unpaid municipal debt by the landlord. Fully booked services had to be cancelled overnight, income dried up like the taps, and there was no clear timeline for reopening. We get into what that actually meant on the ground. Not the headline, but the day-to-day reality of a small, owner-run restaurant operating on tight margins. Staff to consider, guests to manage, debts still due. It’s a sharp reminder of how exposed independent restaurants are to forces outside their control. Alex also traces the path that brought him and Eloise here, from London kitchens to Johannesburg, and eventually to Farro in Cape Town. It’s a business built from scratch, without backing, shaped by hard decisions about how and where to operate. At its core, Farro is a partnership. Alex cooking simply and precisely, Eloise running the room, both present and hands-on. And when things went wrong, it was the wider restaurant community that stepped in, offering support in practical ways that kept them going. A conversation about resilience, risk and what it takes to keep a small restaurant alive. www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

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