Meet JJ Hendricks, the engineering student turned world-champion bartender who's redefining South Africa's cocktail scene. As head bartender at Cape Town's acclaimed Fable and winner of Diageo World Class Africa 2022, JJ reveals the fascinating intersection of science, storytelling, and showmanship that goes into crafting unforgettable drinks. Whether you're a cocktail enthusiast, hospitality professional, or merely curious about the creative process behind world-class drinks, this conversation offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at one of Africa's most celebrated bartenders.

In this episode, discover:

• Why JJ believes that cocktails should be "liquid theatre"
• How JJ transforms South African folklore into liquid experiences
• His innovative three-tier menu strategy and the future of ready-to-drink cocktails
• Why a Long Island iced tea is a boring cocktail

Plus, listen to Katie Bailiie, WCellar Category Manager, tell us how Woolworths adopts international trends and how they look at cocktail bars to see what customers want.

New episodes on Wednesdays Brought to you by Woolworths Produced by POP24

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WCellar: https://www.woolworths.co.za/cat/WCellar/Spirits/_/N-12epel9?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23252331975&gbraid=0AAAABBw-AAej8hEp8LKENur9DcFuaeAHV&gclid=CjwKCAjwnZfPBhAGEiwAzg-VzAqSLKrFVUramdXSbyPoWVL0z8qSzwI2IZhnmU06rFj9dLhL6t-NCxoCFpkQAvD_BwE

Fable: https://fablecocktailbar.capetown/

Peter Tempelhoff, the first South African chef to win three knives at the Best Chef Awards, and the mastermind behind FYN (World's 50 Best #37), as well as Ramendhead, Sushiya, Beyond, and, most recently, Arum. Peter shares the secrets behind building a culinary empire that's putting South African cuisine on the global map.

In this episode, discover:

• How Peter partners with professors to rediscover wild South African plants and turn them into cultivated ingredients
• His award-winning philosophy: The intentional design and team-building strategies behind his multiple restaurant successes
• Why some of his staff have been with him for 15 years, and how he shares equity with his teams

Plus, Woolies Category Manager: Bakery, Nhlaka Msthali, explains the lengths - and places - he and his team go to ensure quality dishes and ingredients.

New episodes on Wednesdays Brought to you by Woolworths Produced by POP24

Shop the Snack & Yap products: https://www.woolworths.co.za/cat/_/N-o3pw8w?Exact=true

Our legal team wants you to read this disclaimer: ⁠https://bit.ly/4s4MKux

Peter Tempelhoff-https://www.instagram.com/petertempelhoff/?hl=en

FYN Restaurant https://www.fynrestaurant.com

Beyond Restaurant: https://beyondrestaurant.co.za

Arum Restaurant: https://arum.co.za/

Ramenhead: http://ramenhead.co.za

Sushiya: https://www.sushiya.co.za/

Benni McCarthy loved the food in Portugal, and struggled with the Spanish dinner time. The South African football legend joins hosts Sibongile Mafu and Steve Steinfeld for a raw and honest conversation about his career, memories and his new memoir "Benni by Benni McCarthy."

From growing up in the tough Cape Flats neighbourhoods to becoming a Champions League winner with Porto, Benni shares stories you've never heard before.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How a chance at Seven Stars led to European scouts from Real Madrid and Barcelona
• His incredible ability to learn Portuguese in just 2 months (and his unique method)
• The childhood trauma that drove his success and made him into the man he is today.

Plus, Yusuf Limbada’s daughter is the reason Woolies sells mochi. Woolies Food’s Head of Trade: Prepared, Bakery and Frozen at Woolies Food sheds light on exactly why the food at Woolies is more expensive, and why it's worth it.

New episodes on Wednesdays Brought to you by Woolworths Produced by POP24

Shop the Snack & Yap products: https://www.woolworths.co.za/cat/_/N-o3pw8w?Exact=true

Our legal team wants you to read this disclaimer: ⁠https://bit.ly/4s4MKux Benni McCarthy- https://www.instagram.com/bennimac17/?hl=en "Benni by Benni McCarthy" - available for purchase

On this week’s What’s the Difference episode, hosts Sibongile Mafu and Steve Steinfeld take a journey through Chef Wandile Mabaso’s career. From ‘playing’ with food at home in Soweto to sweating it out in New York’s toughest Michelin-starred kitchens, he’s back in South Africa and quietly building his own empire. As the chef-owner of Les Creatif in Johannesburg, he’s doing more than changing the menu. He’s reshaping kitchen culture, mentoring young chefs, and creating space for more diversity in fine dining.

He also shares:

• The unique experience of creating his own champagne brand in Champagne, France.
• His cacao project that brings a deeper connection to chocolate-making and storytelling through food
• How he mastered French techniques in order to celebrate African flavours

Plus, Woolworths senior development chef, Sharon Mbonambi, talks about the challenges of introducing South African dishes to the Woolies market. From amagwinya to idombolo, she’s blazing a trail to make heritage foods available nationwide.

New episodes on Wednesdays

Brought to you by Woolworths

Produced by POP24

Shop the Snack & Yap products: https://www.woolworths.co.za/cat/_/N-o3pw8w?Exact=true

Our legal team wants you to read this disclaimer: ⁠https://bit.ly/4s4MKux

Les Créatifs Restaurant: https://lescreatifs.co.za/

Chef Wandile Mabaso: https://www.instagram.com/chef_wandilemabaso/?hl=en

Eat Out Woolworths Trailblazer Award winner Bertus Basson joins us for an honest and entertaining chat about modern South African cuisine. From working in London to running his own restaurants, including the innovative Eike, we get the skinny on his famous beef-tallow “courtship candles” and why he proudly defends the bones in proudly South African snoek.

In this episode, he:

• Shares the philosophy behind his restaurants, including Eike, where indigenous ingredients meet contemporary techniques, and nostalgia inspires innovation.
• His time working in London and how it prepared him for the restaurant industry.
• Tells the story behind his famous beef-tallow “courtship candles,” why he proudly defends the bones in snoek

Plus, Zandile Finxa, Product Developer: Ambient Cakes & Special Occasions shares their favourite lesser known product and how Woolies champions indigenous ingredients.

New episodes on Wednesdays Brought to you by Woolworths Produced by POP24

Shop the Snack & Yap products: https://www.woolworths.co.za/cat/_/N-o3pw8w?Exact=true

Our legal team wants you to read this disclaimer: ⁠https://bit.ly/4s4MKux

Learn more about Bertus here: https://bertusbasson.com/

Africa Melane may wake South Africa up on 702 and CapeTalk, but what fuels his day?

The MC and radio legend gives us a glimpse into his remarkable life and his deep love for food. From waking up at 2:30 am to host the Early Breakfast Show, to serving as chairperson of the Cape Town City Ballet, Africa shows that he’s far more than just a voice on the airwaves.

The conversation is filled with warmth and nostalgia as Africa shares childhood memories of:

• His grandmother’s legendary liver cakes.
• The breakfast ritual he refuses to skip and reveals some of the dishes he loves to cook at home from slow-braised lamb shank to an indulgent Guinness chocolate cake.
• His reputation as a certified food snob and shares a funny, brutally honest story about his lifelong condensed milk trauma.

Plus, Developer: Central Innovation Projects, Khanyisile Mbude-Williams, shares how Woollies uses trends to dream up new products and serve you items you didn’t know you wanted.

New episodes on Wednesdays Brought to you by Woolworths Produced by POP24

Shop the Snack & Yap products: https://www.woolworths.co.za/cat/_/N-o3pw8w?Exact=true

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Catch Africa's show on 702 and CapeTalk at 4 am – 6 am or listen at https://www.primediaplus.com/

He started at the sink. Today, he runs one of Johannesburg’s most celebrated kitchens. In this unforgettable episode, Ebrahiem “Ebie” Du toit takes us inside his extraordinary journey from Mitchells Plain to leading The Pot Luck Club Joburg as Head Chef. It’s a story of grit, raw talent, relentless work ethic – and the mentors who saw greatness in a young man long before he saw it in himself. Ebie opens up about:

• The turning point that changed everything
• The pressure of stepping into a world-class kitchen
• The desserts that carry his story of resilience and hope
• Why mentorship is now his mission

And because the future of food matters, Sharon Mbonambi, Senior Food Product Development Chef at Woolworths, joins the conversation to unpack how Woolies is creating real career pathways for young culinary talent… and she reveals the reason their iconic scone recipe had to change.

If you care about food, ambition, and the power of opportunity, this episode will stay with you long after the last (sound) bite.

New episodes on Wednesdays Brought to you by Woolworths Produced by POP24

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Our legal team wants you to read this disclaimer: ⁠https://bit.ly/4s4MKux

Learn more about the Pot Luck Club here: https://thepotluckclubjhb.co.za/home/

What does authenticity taste like? For siblings Danillo and Chiara Turilli, it’s their late dad’s ragù, 72-hour fermented pizza al taglio, and occasionally swearing at one another in Italian.

In this emotional episode, Chiara cries several times, tells stories about how the siblings fought in Rome, and Dani compliments her on public record for the first time ever. Iconic.

The founders of Lello’s Trattoria, Aperitivo Bar and Caffè share how growing up in restaurants shaped their food philosophy, why you won’t find flat whites on their menu, and how a heartbreak-fuelled renovation became one of Cape Town’s most beloved Italian spaces.

Plus, Thulisa Martins, Senior Product Developer at Woolworths, joins The Cold Seat to explain how San Marzano tomatoes are now grown locally from imported Italian seeds… and why authentic products must still be imported.

New episodes every Wednesday Brought to you by Woolworths Produced by POP24

Shop the Snack & Yap products: https://www.woolworths.co.za/cat/_/N-o3pw8w?Exact=true

Our legal team wants you to read this disclaimer: ⁠https://bit.ly/4s4MKux

Learn more about Lello’s: https://www.instagram.com/lellosdeli/?hl=en See more from Chiara: https://www.instagram.com/chiaraturilli/?hl=en

And Dani: https://www.instagram.com/danillo_turilli/?hl=en