The Corona Lockdown brings interesting news, and challenges and changes, so it was a surprise when I opened up my Instagram to the Janse & Co post last night, announcing the departure of Chef Arno Janse van Rensburg at the end of this month. No future plans are revealed. The restaurant is currently closed, but the Instagram post hints at the reopening of the restaurant at an undefined time.

Chef Arno is one of my favourite chefs, demonstrating no ego, staying in the background with very low key Social Media presence, and does things differently in every way.  During the beginning of Lockdown he and his wife Liezl worked tirelessly in cooking with Ladles of Love to feed many disadvantaged communities in Cape Town. He opened Janse & Co just over two years ago, after leaving Maison in Franschhoek, which was then my favorite restaurant in the gourmet village. Whilst at Maison, Chef Arno took the month-long restaurant winter closures to travel to Spain, South America, and other countries, to learn more about food.

Restaurant Review: Janse & Co next level dining in Cape Town, amazing attention to detail!

The Janse & Co Instagram post reads as follows:

‘Dear followers

At this moment in time Janse & Co has taken the decision to stay closed to mobilise and return in the near future in a new and exciting shape. Thank you to each and every guest that walked through our doors. We hope to welcome you back as soon as we reopen. Thank you to our suppliers that have provided us with the highest quality of ingredients, and we hope to continue doing business with you in the future. We would also like to thank the Janse & Co team, whose engagement, talent and commitment to the company, have been recognised and highly appreciated and hope that we can work with you all again once we are open. Most of all, a huge thank you to Arno. We wish you all the best in the future. 

Best regards,

Janse & Co. ‘

 

Chef Arno also wrote on Instagram last night, as follows:

‘For the past 27 months I had the privilege of opening and working alongside like-minded individuals in my kitchen and restaurant Janse & Co. It has been an inspiring, challenging, exciting, rewarding and life-changing experience for me. August will be my last month working at Janse & Co. I could not have asked for a better team that was dedicated, talented and motivated to work with, for what unbeknown to us, would be the last season at Janse & Co. Thank you to each and every guest that walked through our doors, each supplier I worked with and all the inspiring conversations I had the opportunity to engage with during this time at Janse & Co. I am still a very strong believer in our cuisine in South Africa, and we have so much opportunity, potential and room to grow in. I’m excited to be part of that & in what the future may bring’. 

 

Between the two messages it is hard to decipher what Chefs Arno and Liezl will be doing in future, and what form and shape Janse & Co will take, and who will take over the running of the restaurant, which bears part of Chef Arno’s surname.  One clue may be a trip that the chef couple took to the Karoo a month ago, possibly the inspiration for a Peruvian Central-type heritage food restaurant? I will certainly try to obtain more information about the future career of Chef Arno, and of Janse & Co, wishing both parties all the best for the future.

 

About Chris von Ulmenstein

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide