| Intro | South African chef, restaurateur, and TV personality |
| Is |
Chef Restaurateur Television personality |
| From | South Africa |
| Type |
Business Film, TV, Stage & Radio Food and Drinks |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 1979, Cape Town, South Africa |
| Age: | 41 years |
Bertus Hendrik Basson (born 1979) is a South African chef, restaurateur, entrepreneur and TV personality best known for his work as head chef of Overture in Stellenbosch, Western Cape.
Early life
After being born in Cape Town in 1979, Bertus was brought up in Polokwane, Nelspruit and Witbank. He began to help his mother with cooking in the kitchen at a young age. Growing up, Basson also worked as a waiter at Spur Steak Ranches, as well as at a liquor store and a toy store.
Career
Bertus Basson began working in the culinary career when he was 17 years old. He moved to London at the age of 19 to work at the Michelin starred restaurant Chez Bruce. Basson began his first catering business, All Things Culinary, in 2005. In 2007, Bertus was named Unilever Chef of the Year, before establishing his first restaurant, Overture in November. Overture has been awarded distinguished accolades from both the Eat Out Guide and Rossouws Restaurant Guide while under his leadership.
Basson appeared as a judge on Season 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the national cooking show Ultimate Braai Master on SABC 3. He also appears as a guest on the lifestyle TV show Top Billing as well as the daily talk show Expresso.
Basson was crowned with “Chef of the Year” at the 2019 South African EatOut Awards for his work at Eike and Overture.
Restaurants
| Year Opened | Restaurant | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Overture | Hidden Valley Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa | |
| 2016 | Spek & Bone | Stellenbosch, South Africa | |
| 2017 | The Deck at Hidden Valley | Hidden Valley Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa | |
| 2017 | Die Vrije Burger | Stellenbosch, South Africa | |
| 2018 | Eike | Stellenbosch, South Africa |
Books
Bertus Basson has two books to his name:
- Homegrown (2017, Jacana Media; ISBN 9781928247081)
- Being Bertus Basson (2018, Jacana Media; ISBN 9781431426416)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Award | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | EatOut Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards | Chef of the Year | Himself | Won | |
| Top 10 Restaurants | Eike | Included |