‘Being in the kitchen always lights up my day’
Philippe Marc Buyst, a Tzaneen resident with many years of experience in the food industry, has started a new venture, Philippe’s Kitchen, providing homemade meals.
He says he started in the restaurant industry when he was in his mid-20s. “I started working as a waiter for a restaurant called Langoustine by the Sea in Durban, a 260-seater seafood restaurant, a 120-seater supper theatre, and an 80-seater outside catering restaurant. “I was promoted to manager and we catered for events such as the Durban July and big rugby games,” says Philippe.
In 2001 he went to the UK for a year and started washing dishes in a Manchester eatery. He later moved to another restaurant as a breakfast chef and assistant to the head chef for lunch and dinner. After he returned to South Africa, he worked as a designer but later opened a popular restaurant, Mozambican, at Jetty 3 in Tzaneen.
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He has spent his years in between as a designer but is now back in the food industry doing meals and catering. “This is my passion; it is something that I am good at. I love home cooked soul food that makes you feel at ease,” adds Philippe, saying being in the kitchen lights up his day. “By understanding and respecting your ingredients, you can build flavours in your meals.”
Philippe currently delivers in Tzaneen on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but is looking at supplying frozen meals to Hoedspruit biweekly. “It is winter now, so I am doing a lot of soups and hearty winter meals to warm up the soul.” To join Philippe’s meals’ WhatsApp group, use the QR code below.
