Bio
Bertus Basson is a South African chef best known as a judge on the SABC3 reality competition series The Ultimate Braai Master.
Bertus started cooking at the age of 17. At the age of 19 he moved to London where he spent most of his time at a 1 star Michelin restaurant in Wandsworth, called Chez Bruce.
Bertus attributes his love for fine fresh ingredients to working with Bruce Poole. "I learnt how to cook here," says Bertus, who believes the experience provided him with unrivaled real-life training that couldn't be learned in a college environment. "I learnt how to take a proper bollocking and how to respect ingredients."
On his return to South Africa he opened the Arabella Hermanus as one of the Sous Chefs. During his time here he excelled in cooking competitions, and has represented South Africa in all the world's best cooking challenges, including the Bocuse d'Or, Culinary Olympics and the Global Chefs Challenge.
At age 25 he opened his first business, All Things Culinary, along with Craig Cormack his business partner. This quickly became a very successful catering operation.
The next project - Overture Restaurant - opened its doors in November 2007 under the partnership of Bertus and Craig on the picturesque Hidden Valley wines in Stellenbosch.
The daily changing menu consists of 10 dishes based on fresh, local, seasonal and sustainable produce and offers a wine pairing option that predominantly uses Hidden Valley Wines. The wine list is small and eclectic and focuses on interesting wines from small wineries in the Stellenbosch area.
Since opening Overture has accumulated several awards and has been privileged enough to have been included in the Top 10 of the DStv and Food Network Eat Out Awards for four years running and also being awarded 3 Stars in the Rossouw's Restaurant Guide two years in a row.
Bertus is currently involved with many creative food projects, but his love for restaurants remains as he spends most of his days slinging pots and discovering adventurous new dishes for his menu in Overture.
In 2010 Bertus and Craig opened up Sofias at Morgenster in a delightful old building on the property. Other current projects include BertusBasson, a consultancy and catering company; a newly launched salt range, Amouleh; a wine range, Collaboration Wines with Wine maker Louis Nel; and the operation of Ama Zink, an African dining experience in Kayamandi Township.