{"id":26934,"date":"2016-06-01T10:35:52","date_gmt":"2016-06-01T10:35:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/?p=26934"},"modified":"2016-06-01T10:38:10","modified_gmt":"2016-06-01T10:38:10","slug":"we-talk-to-executive-chef-neethling-du-toit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/we-talk-to-executive-chef-neethling-du-toit\/","title":{"rendered":"We talk to Executive Chef Neethling du Toit"},"content":{"rendered":"

We recently visited La Petite Ferme<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in Franschhoek and enjoyed a night away in the stunning French-country inspired luxury accommodation. While there, we ate a delicious dinner at La Petite Ferme\u00a0Restaurant, which has become known for its culinary offering. The\u00a0restaurant has previously been\u00a0listed as one of the top 15 ‘Best Value’ establishments in the world by Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveller,\u00a0and this is attributed to a\u00a0combination of the venue’s cosy setting, flavoursome contemporary food and excellent service. Executive chef Neethling du Toit puts together a menu that highlights rustic flavours, served in a stylish and modern\u00a0way. We chatted to the Worcester-born chef\u00a0about what makes him tick…<\/p>\n

\"Neethling-La-Petite-Ferme\"<\/a>
\nTell us a bit about your background as a chef…\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was first inspired by food when working at a pizza takeaway restaurant after school, during my teens. I then briefly pursued a career in steel construction before going\u00a0oversees to work as a security guard. When I came back I enrolled in the ICA chef\u2019s school in Stellenbosch. I did my internship at Chamonix restaurant under Dane Newton in Franschhoek. When the owners sold the restaurant I moved to La Petite Ferme as sous chef before taking over as executive chef in 2011.<\/p>\n

What was exciting about the opportunity at La Petite Ferme when it came along?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was a young chef and it was a great challenge. It was a great opportunity to work at a restaurant with such a long history and to try and maintain that standard while adding part of yourself along the way.
\n\"Neethling-La-Petite-Ferme\"
\n<\/a>Do you have a specific meal or food moment\/memory that made you want to be a chef? <\/strong><\/p>\n

As stupid as it might sound, it happened while I worked at the pizza restaurant. Although the food was simple, I got a sense\u00a0of satisfaction from preparing it \u2013 this\u00a0fuelled a passion for cooking which developed more and more as I became a chef.<\/p>\n

Franschhoek is an abundant place \u2013\u00a0specifically for foodies, what makes La Petite Ferme special in your opinion?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a combination of things \u2013 La Petite Ferme has always served food that is good, honest and delicious. Our biggest secret weapon has\u00a0to be the spectacular view we have, which draws diners to our establishment.
\n\"Neethling-La-Petite-Ferme\"
\n<\/a>Tell us about the menu and food style at La Petite Ferme…<\/strong><\/p>\n

The food can best be described as contemporary country. Simple food that is cooked perfectly and\u00a0concentrates on big flavours. A combination that will make the conservative diner happy, as well as excite the more daring.
\n\"La-Petite-Ferme\"
\n<\/a>Food trends come and go, what<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s hot for you right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A lot of chefs are toying with simpler food and then they dolly it up to be more extravagant and appealing for the more\u00a0gourmet market.<\/p>\n

Is there a secret to a running a successful kitchen\/restaurant? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, taste your food! Then everything else falls into place.<\/p>\n

Have you had a funny moment in the kitchen that has stuck with you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, a baboon that found its way into the kitchen during the winter season looking for food. The situation gets funnier if you consider the fact that the kitchen consisted of just women at the time. My ears are still ringing from the screams.<\/p>\n

One culinary trend <\/strong>that <\/strong>you wish would die?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The whole gluten-free thing. There are few better things than warm, freshly baked bread with butter melted in to it. It helped my granny to live a fulfilling life to the age of 88-years before she passed away a few years ago. Save the baker and eat bread.\"La<\/a>To wrap up we ask Neethling\u00a0to tell us a bit about a few of his favourite things.<\/p>\n

Neethling<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s favourite….<\/strong><\/p>\n

place to unwind…\u00a0<\/strong>Piketberg
\ndrink at the end of service…\u00a0<\/strong>brandy and soda
\nlate night snack…\u00a0<\/strong>chocolate
\nmovie quote… <\/strong>‘I’m gonna make you a offer you can\u2019t refuse’. The Godfather
\ningredient right now…\u00a0<\/strong>chilli
\ntoast topping…\u00a0<\/strong>cheese
\nthing about winter…\u00a0<\/strong>spicy curries<\/p>\n

Sample Neethling’s cuisine at La Petite Ferme Restaurant,\u00a0Franschhoek Pass Road. Booking is recommended<\/p>\n

lapetiteferme.co.za<\/a> | \u00a0reception@lapetiteferme.co.za<\/a>\u00a0| 021 876 3016<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We recently visited La Petite Ferme\u00a0in Franschhoek and enjoyed a night away in the stunning French-country inspired luxury accommodation. While there, we ate a delicious dinner at La Petite Ferme\u00a0Restaurant, which has become known for its culinary offering. The\u00a0restaurant has previously been\u00a0listed as one of the top 15 ‘Best Value’ establishments in the world by Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveller,\u00a0and this is attributed to a\u00a0combination of the venue’s cosy setting, flavoursome contemporary food and excellent service. Executive chef Neethling du Toit puts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":923,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4098,4005],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-talking"],"acf":[],"brand_slug":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/923"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26934\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test10.co.za\/C\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}