Head Chef

Pasch du Plooy – Head Chef, Dutch East Restaurant, Franschhoek.

Pasch was born on 12 April  1983 in Pietersburg , Northern Province. He grew up  in Vanderbiljpark and went to Hoërskool Transvalia where he  matriculated in 2001. He then moved to Stellenbosch where he studied Viticulture and Oenology for 3 years. But Pasch knew that he wanted to become a chef and decided to switch courses.

He enrolled at ICA Chef School at Spier and this presented him with two practical placements;  Bouillabaisse and Reuben’s. Bouillabaisse was his first real kitchen job and also the first experience of working in an open kitchen. Coming from a family that enjoys cooking and is big on meat, this was a very important school because Camil Haas only cooked seafood at this restaurant, hence the name Bouillabaisse.

After that the next placement was at Reuben’s, also in Franschhoek. This is where Pasch learnt the most in his career. Reuben was his mentor and teacher with food, new methods and precision.  He was also his inspiration for wanting to open his own place. He worked 3 years at Reuben’s and developed much respect for him and his food.  After that he took an executive chef position at L`Ermitage, at the new Franche Hoek Estate. But this was short -lived as he soon realized that he is not a hotel chef and missed the long, hard hours of a busy a-la-carte restaurant.