Chef Reuben grew up as the middle child in a loving family in Franschhoek. Mom was a housewife who helped out now and again at various restaurants. Dad was a builder. As a high school learner in Paarl, Reuben was fond of writing essays but had no clear idea of where his future lay. Thus undecided, he joined his father in the construction industry after school.

Through his mother’s intermittent involvement in the restaurant industry, Reuben started work as a barman and waiter. Far from catching a glimpse of his future calling, Reuben was concerned that this job with its weekend shifts cut into social time with friends. When he was asked by Head Chef, Richard Carsons, to help out in the kitchen, the youngster was less than enthusiastic – all this meant to him was longer shifts and even less time with his friends.

Slowly, the kitchen cast its spell on young Reuben. As he listened to Chef Richard the realisation slowly dawned: “This is not just a job. This could actually be interesting. This could be something you can be proud of.” He watched: a busy restaurant, patrons coming back for more of the food they enjoyed so much, and enthusiastically ending their meals with ‘Compliments to the Chef!’, the enjoyment of the patrons, the admiration for the Chef. There was a vibe there, something that was bigger than the people, and Reuben realised that he wanted to be a part of it.

He started reading, tentatively experimenting. “I still did not believe that I could do it, that I could send out a plate of my own food,” he remembers. But fate has a way of forcing the issue. The day came when Chef Richard could not make it in to work and the manager turned to Reuben. There were about twenty bookings for lunch, forty for dinner. Reuben held it together. Some patrons demanded that he come out of the kitchen so that they could deliver their compliments in person. It was a heady experience but, says Reuben with a smile: “The kitchen has a way of cutting you down to size if you become too big for your boots.”

The die was cast by this time – Reuben had become conscious of his passion. Over the next few years, life took him to different kitchens, different places – Balito Bay, the Cape Town Waterfront and, eventually, back home to Franschhoek where he once again joined the team of Richard Carsons at the Franschhoek Country House. When Chef Richard moved on, the position was offered to Chef Reuben. “I still didn’t feel confident about accepting,” says Reuben. “I did not feel that I had the experience, but I decided to tackle the job step by step. Everyone in the kitchen was amazing. Even though many were not highly skilled or trained, it was such an amazing team. They made it easy.”

Success and recognition followed. Within three years Reuben made it onto the IETA Restaurant Guide’s Top 100, then the Top 10 list. Reuben kept improving his game. “I did not want to be just another chef,” he says. “I wanted to be the best.” His obvious talent combined with his success and ambition translated into numerous job offers.

Although Reuben was essentially happy where he was, the lure of a job offer in Cambridge, UK, eventually proved irresistible. He arrived in Cambridge to find that the restaurant was not even completed yet. For many this would have been a bitter disappointment, but Reuben rolled up his sleeves and joined the construction team. Soon the restaurant was up and running with Reuben in the kitchen, serving bobotie to fellow South Africans who stopped by. “I had a lot of fun and, because of that, the restaurant was successful,” says Reuben.

This was when Boekenhoutskloof vintner, Marc Kent, entered the picture. He contacted Reuben and went to see him in Cambridge with an offer. Kent had purchased a property in Franschhoek for which he had big plans and he was looking for someone to partner with in creating a top-notch restaurant. The two men seemed to think alike and, after two years in England, Reuben headed back to Franshhoek.

Reuben tackled this big challenge with typical gusto and within the first year he was declared Chef Of The Year and Reuben’s, his restaurant, was made Restaurant Of The Year. “I count myself very lucky,” says Reuben. “Other chefs work as hard as I do and may never enjoy this kind of success.” These humble words are to Reuben’s credit. However, his success is certainly not undeserved. In the famous words of Gary Player: “The more you practise, the luckier you get.”

www.reubens.co.za