Chef Jess van Dyk heads up the kitchen at Protégé Restaurant at Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek. She was previously the Head Chef at La Colombe in Constantia, a huge honour, in it being South Africa’s number one restaurant. She is one of our 2021 Top 10 Women Chefs, and has won a bottle of Adhara Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Jess describes herself as follows: ‘Small town girl, from the Northern Cape, came to study at Silwood in 2010. I finished all three years, my third year being spent at La Colombe in 2012 (Constantia Uitsig). I stayed on at La Colombe, moving from Chef de partie to Sous Chef by the end of 2014. I left to pursue my dream of working on the yachts, but also spent a few months working with a catering and events company before heading to the Mediterranean. After 11 months on the yachts, I came back as Head Chef of La Colombe in 2018, and moved to Franschhoek to head up Protégé at the end of 2019’.
Three weeks ago two friends living in the Southern Suburbs and I met for lunch at Quince Restaurant in Diep River, having seen its lovely photographs posted in my Lockdown Restaurant Facebook Group. Needing a change of scenery from the Atlantic Seaboard, I chose to drive to the Southern Suburbs, popping in at a number of places, and had lunch at Quince Restaurant, arriving with high expectations. Sadly these were not met. 
Friday 1 May 2020, Day 1 of Lockdown Level 4, after 35 days at Level 5 😷