South African chef Nick Honeyman became one of the talented few who can say they’ve earned a Michelin Star this year! This is for his seasonal French restaurant based in Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère.
Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, France (20 August 2024) — It’s been an exciting year for the South African culinary scene. From La Petite Colombe being awarded Restaurant of the Year to Chef Phil Carmichael opening his debut South African restaurant in Stellenbosch and, of course, Jamie Oliver visiting chefs in Cape Town, the very best of cuisine has come from and to South Africa in a platter of ways. In more proud news for foodie enthusiasts, a South African Chef’s French restaurant has earned a Michelin Star!
Chef Nick Honeyman, who was born and raised in South Africa before following his ‘burning passion for cooking’ to Sydney, has, alongside his wife Sina, earned a Michelin Star for their French restaurant ‘Le Petit Léon’.
Based in the South of France’s Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, Le Petit Léon is said to have been something of a treasure trove in the culinary world long before it got its name written in the stars.
A seasonal restaurant that’s only open in the summer, Nick and Sofia earned their stripes earlier this year in late March.
Receiving a Michelin Star is a lot like the culinary world’s version of the Oscars, with the Michelin Guide standing as the world authority in high-end dining.
Several South Africans carry this accolade, including Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen (the first South African Chef to claim the coveted start), Jean Delport, Conor Toomey, Thinus Van Der Westhuizen and Chef Epsey.
For Nick, achieving the award would hardly have been possible without Sina.
“5 years ago, Sina and I bought Le Petit Léon, which was just open at the time 8 weeks of the year. She said to me if you want a star then we need to make that happen! As we built this business, this was never our main objective, but it was definitely on our goals list.
“To be able to cook free with creativity you have to have a solid structure around you. Sina, with her team built this for the kitchen team and allowed us to flourish. To create the experience we have today the first half relies on the food and the rest is on the shoulders of the service team do deliver that experience day in day out with heart and a smile. This star belongs to our team, past and present and we could never have done this without Sina.”
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