The Peech Hotel will celebrate its 22nd anniversary with a special lunch and dinner collaboration at The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg from Thursday 26th – Saturday 28th November 2026. Ebie, Head Chef of The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg, and Nathan, Head Chef of The Test Kitchen Fledgelings in Cape Town, will reunite to create a six-course menu inspired by their backgrounds and shared beginnings at the original Test Kitchen. Having worked their way from scullers to accomplished head chefs, the pair return to cook together with their mentor, Luke Dale Roberts, cheering them on.
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The Peech first opened its doors on 27th November 2004, placing its birthday at the heart of the three-day collaboration. To mark the occasion, Ebie and Nathan will create an innovative menu inspired by their backgrounds, the flavours they grew up with and the creative foundations they developed under Luke’s mentorship. Priced at R1,350 per person, this dining experience offers a rare opportunity to experience two of South Africa’s most exciting chefs cooking together.
Before they were head chefs, both started out as scullers at the original Test Kitchen in Cape Town, working together behind the scenes of one of South Africa’s most celebrated restaurants. Through mentorship, sheer determination and years of hard work, they progressed through Luke’s restaurant group to become accomplished head chefs in their own right.
Their November reunion will bring those shared beginnings and individual styles to the table, with a menu that explores the food they love to cook, ingredients that excite them, with Luke’s signature flair throughout each course.
“Ebie and I know what it means to start at the bottom and work for every opportunity,” says Nathan. “We learned alongside each other at The Test Kitchen, and now we get to come together again with our own ideas and experiences. We want to cook food that says something about who we are, but above all, food that people will really enjoy eating.”
Nathan’s progression from sculler to demi chef at The Test Kitchen laid the foundations for his leadership of The Test Kitchen Fledgelings. Today, he helps train a new generation of hospitality talent in the same Woodstock space where his own career began, passing on the skills and opportunities that shaped his journey. His achievements were recognised with the Eat Out Rising Star award in 2025.
Ebie, who grew up in Mitchells Plain, found his professional footing in The Test Kitchen’s scullery. Luke encouraged his potential, and supported his training at Silwood School of Cookery, where Ebie qualified as a chef and continued building his career within the LDR group. Now leading The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg, he draws on his Cape Malay heritage alongside the techniques and influences he learnt in professional kitchens.
“There are flavours from home that stay with you, no matter where your career takes you,” says Ebie. “This menu gives Nathan and me the chance to bring those influences into the kitchen together and do something fresh with them. Having Luke here makes it even more special. He saw what we could become before we could see it ourselves.”
Luke affectionately calls the pair his “Golden Boys”. Their collaboration celebrates the lasting impact of mentorship: recognising potential, creating an opportunity and giving people the guidance to turn it into a career. Both chefs now carry that responsibility within their own kitchens.
“I call them my Golden Boys because I’ve watched them earn their position, every step of the way,” says Luke. “They started washing pots, but their curiosity, determination and willingness to learn took them far beyond the scullery. Today, they are talented head chefs with their own voices, leading teams and teaching others. Seeing them cook together again is something I’m incredibly proud of.”
The Peech provides a fitting setting for this reunion. Over 22 years, the family-run boutique hotel has grown into a distinctive Joburg destination, with 32 guest rooms set amid two acres of lush gardens in Melrose. It’s contemporary design and warm hospitality welcome travellers from around the world, while The Pot Luck Club Joburg adds a compelling dining experience for hotel guests and local diners alike.
“We’re incredibly proud to have The Pot Luck Club here at The Peech,” says James, owner of the hotel. “Having such a dynamic team and talented chefs brings another dimension of excellence to what we offer our international guests, while giving local South Africans a compelling reason to join us. The restaurant has become a tremendous feature at the hotel, and celebrating our 22nd birthday with Luke, Ebie and Nathan cooking together makes this occasion particularly special.”
The restaurants Ebie and Nathan lead have earned recognition across South Africa’s major dining awards. At the 2026 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards, both The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg and The Test Kitchen Fledgelings received one star. The 2026 JHP Gourmet Guide awarded The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg two plates and The Test Kitchen Fledgelings one plate.
At the 2026 LUXE Restaurant Awards, The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg was named Hotel Restaurant of the Year and received two LUXE stars, while The Test Kitchen Fledgelings received one LUXE star. These honours recognise the quality of the dining experiences shaped by the chefs and their teams.
For diners, the collaboration is a chance to experience that talent at close quarters, two chefs with a shared history, distinct food styles and a menu co-created especially for the occasion.
From pot washing to running the pass, Ebie and Nathan have come a long way. This November, they invite Johannesburg to pull up a chair and celebrate.
EVENT DETAILS
Dates: 26th – 28th November 2026
Lunch service – Fri 27th / Sat 28th November
Dinner service – Thur 26th / Fri 27th / Sat 28th November
Venue: The Pot Luck Club Johannesburg at The Peech Hotel, Melrose
Experience: Six-course menu by Ebie du Toit and Nathan Clarke
Menu Price: R1,350 per person (*optional wine pairing available)
Reservations: Book via DinePlan
