Flamboyant Flemish TV chef and cookbook author Piet Huysentruyt was born in Belgium in 1962. He studied at the prestigious Hotelschool Ter Duinen in Koksijde before honing his culinary skills in various top restaurants both at home and abroad. He went on to open his own restaurant in Wortegem-Petegem, and got his rst Michelin star a few years later.

He came to widespread attention in Belgium when he hosted Beautiful Home on the VTM network, and later went on to star in the very popular SOS Piet series, in which he solved viewers’ culinary problems and shared original ideas and recipes. The series spawned a number of highly successful cookbooks that saw him top bestseller lists.

After years on TV and the release of almost 20 cookbooks, Piet returned to his true passion when he opened Likoké in southern France. Here the passionate chef creates imaginative, contemporary dishes that excel in complexity and avour – and earned the restaurant a Michelin star within a year of its opening.

Head Chef at Luke Dale Roberts X the Saxon, Candice Philip has always been interested in cooking. After nishing High School, she was introduced to a chef who recognised her passion and offered her a four- year apprenticeship at Johannesburg’s large corporate conferencing and event venue, Gallagher. “It was an amazing opportunity to go through chef’s school while also working as a chef,” she says.

Candice joined the Saxon in 2011, where she honed her culinary talents under the guidance of award-winning chef David Higgs. She took over the reins from Higgs in the Saxon’s rebranded signature restaurant last year, where she combines passion, expertise and the latest global gourmet food trends to take guests on a unforgettable ne dining journey. “I enjoy thinking outside the box and nd inspiration in many different things, including the Saxon’s vegetable garden,” she says. “I try never to imitate but rather put my own interpretation into dishes. My thought process is really an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ kind of scenario.”

Candice was the only female chef selected to compete in the Global Chefs Challenge, and represented South Africa in last year’s Culinary Olympics in Germany.