Isabella Niehaus of Langtafel op die Duin in Langebaan is one of our 2022 Top 10 Women Chefs, and has received this accolade for the third year in a row.

Congratulations Bella.

The Top 10 Women Chefs in Cape Town and the Winelands were announced on Women’s Day. Each winner receives a 1 litre tube of Rio Large Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Top 10 Women Chefs in Cape Town and the Winelands: 2022

 

Over a cup of tea Bella and I caught up on her exciting year to date. She has just completed work on ‘Daar’s ‘n Vegan op my Verandah: Ons mymer oor die rykdom van kos’, a Vegan cookbook she has created with artist and book author Louis Janse van Vuuren, at his La Creuzette home in Boussac in France. Louis has been Vegan for seven years and collaborated with Bella, his organic vegetable garden, fruit orchard, and bees being the inspiration for most of their 95 dishes in the book, a cookbook and a book of memories, Bella shared. She refers to Louis as her ‘soul twin’. Bella travelled to France with local ingredients such as samp, mielie meal, rice, prickly pears, and spekboom, for use in their South African dishes. The book will be launched in October at Woordfees in Stellenbosch by publisher Carel Nolte, the launch of the English version of the book to follow.

Bella hosts Sunday lunches at her Duinhuis home, and diners at her long table quickly become friends. Last year Bella travelled to Paris to receive the award for Best Entertainment book in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for her cookbook and book of stories ‘Duinhuis’, which was published just as Lockdown hit our country. She is already planning her next cookbook, one on seafood. As if she is not busy enough, Bella is working on writing her first fiction book. A year ago she launched LAP, selling a dress in different sizes to fit and flatter all body shapes, accompanied by a soft stylish scarf.

On the eve of her birthday tomorrow, I asked Bella about her future. She said it is to celebrate her life every day, knowing that she alone is responsible for her life and happiness.

We are grateful to Brenda Wilkinson of RIO LARGO Olive Estate for sponsoring a gift of its beautiful colourful Extra Virgin Olive Oil packs to our Top 10 Women Chefs.

RIO LARGO is a producer of award-winning olive oils, its estate located on the Southern banks of the Breede River, between Worcester and Robertson. It comprises olive orchards with 18000 trees, with Frantoio, Leccino, Coratina and FS-17 cultivars, vines, an olive nursery, and a state-of-the-art olive processing and bottling plant. The sunshine hours and cold winters of the estate make the location perfect for olive growing. The Olive Oil is available in 500 ml, 1 litre and 2 litre packs. It is a proudly South African olive oil brand.

 

Langtafel op die Duin, Langebaan. Cell 083 265 2147 www.isabellaniehaus.co.za Instagram: @bella_niehaus

RIO LARGO Olive Estate, Scherpenheuvel, between Robertson and Worcester. Cell 082 688 0578 www.riolargo.co.za Instagram : @riolargooliveestate

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whaletalesblog.com 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