THE CLIENT

Lemkus

THE BRIEF

Curate a menu and produce the dinner event for the launch of the new Air Jordan '85 sneaker.

THE RESULT

Inspired by Michael Jordan’s favourite foods, the menu paid homage to his legacy while creating a memorable dining experience for 23 guests – his iconic jersey number. The first course featured a “Bred Basket” with local flair, including freshly grilled roosterkoek and black sesame-infused bread, served with biltong butter and smoortjie. The main course was flame-grilled ribeye with classic sharing sides – Caesar salad, garlic-infused creamed spinach, and grilled pumpkin pie with maple glaze. (Each ribeye was seared with the Jumpman logo, adding a bold tribute to the sneaker legend.) Dessert paid tribute to comfort food with an ice cream cookie sandwich.

THE TEAM

Concept, experience design, menu design, culinary curation: Studio H

Chef: Strone Henry (Kosgangsta), Ashleigh Frans

Food collaborators: Cream of the Crop

THE CLIENT

Atmosphere for BBC Lifestyle

THE BRIEF

When Atmosphere Communications sent a brief with all our favourite things: 🎂 + 📺 + Siba = Bake Off!

THE RESULT

Ready Steady Bake!

THE TEAM

Casper Schutte, Spook Design Co. helped us turn Siba Mtongana and Paul Hartmann into iced cookies

Sweet Lionheart baked the cookies and curated the baking kits

Naeema Page, The Cookie Chef designed and iced the cookies of dreams (she also has the steadiest hands in the business)

THE CLIENT

Emazulwini Restaurant

THE BRIEF

Media launch for new menu

THE RESULT

A Millets Celebration that was attended by media and creators to experience the new Emazulwini menu, and a feature and photo shoot included in the Studio H Millets report.

Read part of the feature below.

In celebration of millets, Chef Mmabatho has embarked on a culinary journey that challenges convention. Traditionally associated with humble fare, millets are now at the heart of Emazulwini’s spring menu. It’s a surprising twist that demonstrates the restaurant’s commitment to redefining perceptions about ingredients often dismissed as ‘not fine dining.’ This departure from tradition isn't just about following a trend, it’s an act of creative reinvention. Chef Mmabatho, born and raised in KwaZulu-Natal, has chosen to explore her culinary imagination beyond her childhood recipes. While the flavours and ingredients remain rooted in her family’s culinary traditions, the millet menu allows her to step outside the confines of her own life story.

Emazulwini’s millet-centric menu features three different varieties of millets: pearl millet, fonio, and sorghum. These ancient grains form the basis of a six-course culinary journey that is both a tribute to the past and a vision of a more sustainable future. The menu is meticulously designed to reflect the essence of the spring season, offering dishes that are light, fresh, and vibrant. It’s an embodiment of Emazulwini's philosophy of celebrating the changing seasons and the abundance they bring.

One of the signature dishes, “Lucky's Star,” is a creative tribute to a South African favourite – pilchards in a can. This dish features fried sardines, roasted red pepper, tomato puree, served with a millet and spinach salad composed of pearl millet, fonio, and sorghum. To end the meal on a sweet note, Chef Mmabatho has crafted "An African Love Letter," a dessert that focuses on three foods deeply rooted in Africa but enjoyed worldwide – coffee, chocolate and millet. It takes the form of a millet chocolate tartlet, coffee crémeux, nut crumble, and cardamom and vanilla ice cream, offering a sweet symphony of flavours that pays homage to the continent's culinary legacy.

Read the full feature in our Millets Report.

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Photos: Paris Brummer

Copy: JC Landman

By far one of our favourite toys, we use our 3D food printer to create future food menus for clients for a range of activations from intimate dinners to large-scale expos and banquets. Our 3D food printer, the only of its kind in Africa, is a great way to amplify a future-forward strategy.

In the near future, 3D food printing could allow consumers to print food with customised nutritional content, tailored specifically to their individual dietary needs. So, instead of eating something mass-produced, a person could soon consume something designed for their particular needs and tastes, on demand.

Imagine the next ‘ready-to-eat’ meals as cartridges of food printed into shapes determined by downloadable designs.

THE CLIENT

WCellar (Woolworths)

THE BRIEF

Create an immersive in-store display for the redesigned WCellar store in Hout Bay.

THE RESULT

An interactive, tactile Masterclass detailing the process of champagne making – from grapes to bubbles, accompanied by an olfactory flavour pairing station.

THE TEAM

Concept, Design and Creative Direction: Studio H

Props and styling: Studio H

Basic structure build: Happinest

Installation: Studio H and Happinest

Graphic design: Casper Schutte, Spook

Special thanks: Hendrik Coetzee

THE CLIENT

Anglo American

THE BRIEF

Create a disruptive future food-led activation.

THE RESULT

We baked over 1000 millet cookies to create millet milk tart sandwiches with 3D prints for the Anglo American Mining Indaba Gala Dinner. Let’s join forces in the International Year of Millets and discover the full potential of this ancient grain to feed the world and combat climate change.

Get the recipe.

THANK YOU

True North Events

THE CLIENT

Vadas Smokehouse & Bakery

THE BRIEF

Shoot content for the restaurant and bakery, as well as their Festive offerings.

THE RESULT

The restaurant and bakery items were photographed against simple but striking backgrounds, using various plates & trays, and pastries to create eye-catching patterns.

THE TEAM

Production: JC Landman & Hannerie Visser

Photography: Daniela Zondagh

Styling: Sumien Brink

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THE BRIEF

Our studio moved into new offices with a street-facing window display just before the launch of the 100+ Flavours Report. To amplify the launch, we commissioned Hoick to activate the window space.

THE RESULT

“Given the location on Buitenkant Street, it was an opportunity to personally and meaningfully connect with any South African that engaged. We drew inspiration from the democratic medium of classic South African TV, and the visual of screens piled up in Joshua Doore's windows, playing infomercials on repeat. The result was 8 microwave-clad TV screens displaying a selection of rotating dishes, striking a resemblance to nostalgic South African television, as well as the relatable feeling of watching your food as it heats up in the microwave. The broadcasts of rotating plates are interrupted by clips from beloved South African TV shows. A jodetert is interrupted by an Abo Mzala clip, with friends discussing the awkward noisiness of eating skopas at the movies. A skhokho is interrupted by a clip of Ina Paarman mimicking the cry of a refrigerated tomato. A bunny chow is interrupted by an Egoli clip, with Ester and Elsa mistakenly high on weed brownies, hysterically listing everything they want to eat. The window display leads the viewer to an online shop where they are able to purchase the report, but also gives passersby a moment to reflect on South Africa's diverse food culture – to see their own food culture represented, and to indulge in personal sensory memory, free of charge.” – Claire Johnson, co-director, Hoick

Take a stroll past the window at Tiny Empire in Buitenkant Street to see the display IRL.

THE TEAM

CI design: Hoick

Window creative direction and concept: Hoick

Videography: Daniela Zondagh

Culinary production and styling: Studio H

Photos: Daniela Zondagh

THE CLIENT

V&A Waterfront, Makers Landing

THE BRIEF

Create an activation for the opening of Makers Landing.

THE RESULT

100 Flavours was an interpretation of a what a South African Food Museum could look like. The 100 Flavours exhibition, that ran for six months at Makers Landing in the V&A Waterfront, educated and inspired visitors with a gastronomic journey through South Africa’s iconic ingredients, recipes, cooking methods and culinary tools. Visitors could discover South Africa's edible past amid archaeological evidence of the earliest cooking over fire at Gauteng’s Cradle of Humankind; savour the first feasts with prehistoric Cape West Coast shellfish midden mounds; admire the creativity of the ancient honey hunters depicted in KZN’s San rock art and then marvel in a past-meets-present epicurean experience with a wild flower honey tasting. All the while walking amongst the foundations of the pre-colonial Khoi Camissa trading station.

THE TEAM

Concept, production and curation: Studio H

Installation production: Studio H, Ilana Swanepoel

Ingredient sourcing: Studio H and Sisanda Nxumalo

Research and copy: Dr Anna Trapido

Graphic design: Casper Schutte, Spook Design

Photos: Jan Ras, Woolworths Taste Magazine and Ashleigh Frans

Studio H prides itself on being at the forefront of culinary innovation in the intricate world of food design. One of the core elements in staying ahead of the curve is food trend forecasting, which requires comprehensive research, data analysis, and expert insights to predict future food trends. Embracing this strategic approach, we are excited to announce the release of our 2025/6 Future Food Report — an in-depth, carefully curated forecast of the gastronomic landscape that lies ahead.

We recently hosted a series of in-person sessions to present the latest report to clients and industry friends. You can order and download the report in our online shop.

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MASHED POTATO SALAD, BRAAIED TROUT AND BOEREJONGENS

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 400 g trout fillet
• 30 ml olive oil
• 1 T salt
• 1 T black pepper
• 1 fresh lemon
• 700 g baby potatoes
• 2 egg yolks
• 250 ml sunflower oil
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• ½ t mild curry paste
• ½ t garlic, minced
• 1 t salt
• 1 t black pepper
• 10 g flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 10 g fresh curry leaves, deep-fried
• 1 cup boerejongens (brandy-preserved grapes)

METHOD

• Portion the trout into 4 equal pieces, rub the fillets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Braai in a hinged grid for 5 minutes on each side, flesh side first.
• Before taking off the braai, squeeze a generous amount of fresh lemon juice on the fish.
• Throw the baby potatoes into the coals and bury them under the hot ashes for 15–20 minutes until soft inside.
• Take out of the coals and let cool down.
• Peel the potatoes once cooled and set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl add the egg yolks, white wine vinegar, mustard, curry paste, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Drip the oil little by little into the mixture while whisking constantly until all the oil is incorporated and the aioli is thick.
• Mix the aioli with the baby potatoes and mix through the chopped parsley.
• Garnish with the deep-fried curry leaves.
• Place a small bed of the potato salad on a plate, place a piece of trout on top and finish off with a few cheeks of boerejongens.
• Serve as a starter or light main course.

DRIED BRAAI SNOEK, BRAAIED COS LETTUCE AND PLUM SALAD WITH KAAIMANSGAT VINAIGRETTE

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 wind-dried snoek
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 T quince jelly
• ½ lemon, juiced and zested
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 small cos lettuce heads, halved
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 T Maldon salt
• Black pepper
• 4 ripe plums, halved
• 2 T honey, melted
• ¼ cup pecan nuts, roasted and chopped
• ½ cup labneh
• 10 g chopped coriander
• 1 t cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T Kaaimansagat Blanc de Blancs
• 2 t white wine vinegar
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• ½ t garlic, minced
• 1 t salt
• 4 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T sunflower oil

METHOD

• In a small saucepan melt the butter over the fire, add the garlic and let sizzle for one minute, mix through the quince jelly, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper.
• Cut the dried snoek into manageable pieces, and place over the hot coals on the braai.
• Braai until golden and crispy on each side, lather with the butter sauce on both sides, cooking for 1 min on each side after.
• Remove from braai and place on a big platter and brush over the rest of the butter sauce to soak into the snoek.
• While the coals are still medium hot, place the halved cos lettuce heads on the grill and cook until they are golden brown and caramelised, do the same with the plums and brush them with the melted honey just before they are done.
• Place the labneh into a small mixing bowl, mix through the chopped coriander and olive oil.
• In a measuring jug, place the Kaaimansgat, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, and salt and mix together.
• In another measuring jug, mix the olive oil and sunflower oil.
• Pour the oil into the mustard mixture while whisking constantly, and until thick and emulsified.
• Assemble the salad by layering the cos at the bottom, scatter the plum halves and dollop the labneh.
• Serve the snoek and salad together.

CONDENSED MILK STOKBROOD WITH MATURE CHEDDAR AND MOSKONFYT

Serves: 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• ½ cup condensed milk
• 35 g yeast / 10 g instant yeast
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 t salt
• 45 g butter, melted
• 600 g bread flour
• 100 g farm butter
• 1 block (200 g) mature cheddar
• ½ cup moskonfyt

METHOD

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.
• Add the condensed milk, salt, egg and cooled butter.
• Gradually add flour until a kneadable dough forms.
• Turn out on surface and knead until smooth and elastic (±8–10 minutes).
• Place in lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel, leave to stand in a warm place until doubled in size.
• Knead the dough again for 1–2 minutes and divide into 6 equal size sausages.
• Wrap the dough sausages around sturdy vine branches.
• Allow to rest and proof until puffy.
• Cook the stokbrood over the coals, turning constantly until golden brown and cooked through.
• Serve the warm stokbrood with farm butter, mature cheddar and moskonfyt as a cheese course dessert.

THE CLIENT

M-Net

THE BRIEF

Conceptualise a dinner for the MasterChef South Africa sponsons and guests for Earth Hour 2021.

THE RESULT

Amidst accelerating climate change and staggering biodiversity loss, Earth Hour continues to inspire millions of people to take action for our planet and nature. Every year, at 20:30 on the last Saturday of March, supporters in over 190 countries and territories unite, taking action on and raising awareness of the issues facing our one home.

With MasterChef South Africa’s commitment to sustainability and the environment, it was only apt to host the official sponsor’s dinner on Earth Hour 2022. This dinner was attended by 80 of the main sponsors, associated sponsors, contestants and judges, DStv Rewards Winners, production agency and members of the media. The dinner was prepared by Chefs Mmabatho Molefe and Bertus Basson, and the canapés were served on ‘Shellegance’ by local artist Lucie De Moyencourt.

THE TEAM

Venue: Makers Landing

Sponsors: M-Net, DStv Rewards, Pick ‘n Pay, V&A Waterfront, Makers Landing

Associated sponsors: @home, Hisense

Chefs: Eike by Bertus Basson, Mmabatho Molefe, Emazulwini

Canapé plates: Lucie de Moyencourt

THE BRIEF

Design and curate a Dine & Design event

THE RESULT

The inaugural Dine & Design dinner, hosted at Tiny Empire, was the opening of Design Week 2023 and a celebration of 30 years of House & Leisure and Decorex. We wanted all guests to be able to celebrate in one space, but also create a relaxed environment that felt like an intimate dinner party. So guests enjoyed starters and desserts together, and mains was served at various intimate dinner spaces, hosted and created by House & Leisure's team of editors.

Our starter course was an ode to millets. Handmade millet crisps were served in Niknaks packets, symbolising that (due to various complex reasons) maize replaced millet as a staple crop across the continent. The millet crisps were flavoured with maize chip dust made from chips that the guests brought to the dinner.

Main course was served by chef PJ Vadas and the Vadas team from Spier Wine Farm.

The dessert, prepared by the Studio H team, was a banana party - an assortment of banoffee pie, fresh bananas, banana candies, banana perfume and a banana soundtrack.

THE TEAM

Host venue: Tiny Empire

Event hosts: House & Leisure, Decorex

Dinner party hosts: Charl Edwards, Bielle Bellingham, Sumien Brink, Karen Dudley, Tracy-Lee Lynch, Stevie Whiteman

Main course: PJ Vadas

Wine: Spier Wine Farm

Floral design: Mr Munro

Concept, starters, dessert: Studio H

THE CLIENT

Narrative PR

THE BRIEF

Design a menu for the opening of Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen’s Cosmopolitan Renaissance exhibition in Cape Town.

THE MENU

Central to the artist’s work is the concept of bio-cultural diversity, which he investigates through exploring the themes of interconnectedness, and sustainability. The menu, inspired by the Five Kingdoms of Nature:

Animals: Red centre devilled eggs

Plants: Asparagus and edible flower skewers

Fungi: Grilled mushroom skewers

Protists: Kelp, rice paper puffs and kelp-cured fish

Monera: Mold-ripened cheese with shaped jelly on handmade crackers

THE TEAM

Concept, menu design, culinary curation: Studio H

Culinary collaborator: Mia Everson

THE CLIENT

Mamakashaka for Spotify Africa

THE BRIEF

Take the culinary lead for the Spotify Greasy Tunes Popup.

THE RESULT

Our studio was commissioned by Mamakashaka to be the culinary lead for the Spotify Greasy Tunes Popup that runs in Braam for the month of July. We designed the menu, set up the kitchen and are in charge of the daily food service in collaboration with Chef Luyanda Sogiba from Lish Foods. We assisted BCKRDS, who designed the CI for the project, to style the food for their campaign shoot.

THE TEAM

Menu design: Studio H

Food designer: Juwan Beyers, Studio H

Culinary execution: Jenny Ward, Luyanda Sogiba

CI design: BCKRDS

Creative Director: Wade Moonsamy

Lead agency: Mamakashaka

Project manager: Siba Mosana

Food prep for shoot: Food I Love You, Studio H

Photographer: André Badenhorst

Studio H Project managers: JC Landman, Angelique Smith

THE CLIENT

V&A Waterfront Makers Landing

THE BRIEF

Create a food-themed installation for Makers Landing

THE RESULT

We collaborated with Mikateko Media during the Makers Landing Seafood Fest to design an installation that would highlight the plight of South African fisherwomen.

With UWC PLAAS, Mikateko published a book, Beyond The Blue - Women of the Sea, that documents the lives and livelihoods of 17 women who give a snapshot into the world of fishing rights complexities, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and making a living from the sea.

We combined an installation of portraits from the book with an existing Studio H project, Visnetten, that just returned from The Netherlands. Visnetten was on show at @museumrijswijk in The Hague until the end of January 2022 as part of the show “Food For Thought”. Recipe cards attached to embroidered fishing nets tell the story of a broken food system and the invisible people, often women, in that system. Visitors are encouraged to remove the cards with seafood recipes to expose the embroidery.

THE TEAM

Mikateko Media and Koe’sister magazine: Ingrid Jones, Desiree Johnson, Roxanne Holman, Leane Feris

UWC PLAAS: Prof Moenieba Isaacs

Recipes: Koe’sister magazine

Fisher women: Solene Smith, Nadiema Jacobs, Katrina Ahrendse, Sarah Niemand, Betsie Lawrence, Charmaine Daniels, Rose Malan, Fatiema “Poppie” Kok, Michelle Singh, Carmelita Mostert, Rovina Europa, Porche Sebonka, Emily Newman, Mary Hull, Francis Oerson, Sharon Kruger, Taitum-Lee Manual

Embroidery by Keiskamma Art Project: Veronica Betani, Nombulelo Paliso, Bonelwa Paliso, Setyenzwa Mangwana, Esethu Makubalo, Nokuzola Mvaphants, Thabisa Gusha, Fikiswa Madlingozi, Sanela Maxengana

Graphic design: Casper Schutte, Spook Design

Installation concept and design: Studio H

Photos: Daniela Zondagh

We’ve asked some of our collaborators, friends and women in food whom we admire, to share their favourite fish and chips spots to visit during the holidays:



🐟 Traci Kwaai, 6th generation fisher child and story keeper: Fish Hoek Fisheries, 43 Main Rd, Fish Hoek (Traci’s other favourites are Lucky Fish in Kalk Bay and Kalky’s.)

🐟 Lucie De Moyencourt, Artist and illustrator: The Salty Sea Dog, 2 Wharf St, Simon’s Town


🐟 Isca Stoltz, Head Chef at Galjoen Restaurant: Kalky’s, Harbour, Kalk Bay


🐟 Star Senamile, Marketing Manager V&A Waterfront: Revelas Fisheries, 205 Long St, Cape Town


🐟 Daniela Zondagh, Food Photographer: Kuyler’s Fish & Chips, Eastern Ext, George and Delicious Fish, 89 Regent Rd, Sea Point, Cape Town


🐟 Saadiyah Hendricks, Food Content Creator: Snoekies, 106 Harbour Rd, Hout Bay


🐟 Roushana Gray, Owner of Veld and Sea: Fish Hoek Fisheries, 43 Main Rd, Fish Hoek


🐟 Paris Brummer, Photographer: Ooskus Fisheries, 4 Watt St, Gordon’s Bay


🐟 Hanli Prinsloo, free diver, speaker, writer and ocean conservationist: Live Bait, Main Rd, Kalk Bay (has good options for non fish eaters) 


🐟 Khanya Mzongwana, Food editor and stylist: Kalky’s, Harbour, Kalk Bay


🐟 Brigitte Lilley, Ceramicist: Fish on the Rocks, 1 Harbour Rd, Hout Bay  


🐟 Sasha Simpson, Chef and curator at Our Harvest Tote: Goldfish Café & Take away, 90 Beach Rd, Strand

🐟 Abigail Donnelly, Woolworths, Eat Out, Taste magazine: Beira Mar Portuguese Restaurant, 151 Main Rd, Kalk Bay

THE CLIENT

Laphroaig

THE BRIEF

Design a sensory tasting kit for the iconic single malt Scotch, Laphroaig.

THE RESULT

The sensorial kit links the brand to the peaty hills of Islay through touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight, making for a memorable tasting experience wherever it is presented to the consumer.

THE TEAM

Design and production: Studio H

Photography: Daniela Zondagh

THE CLIENT

Caesarstone

THE BRIEF

Design and produce the awards ceremony for the annual Caesarstone Student Designer Competition. This year, students were invited to create a conceptual and functional design to AMPLIFY an Olympic urban sports centre located in Nantes Park, Athlone.

THE RESULT

Battery Park, a vibrant urban park in the heart of Cape Town, served as the venue for the awards ceremony. The theme was brought to life through an immersive experience featuring amplified food and entertainment (including a 10-metre-long irostile, 1-metre-long sosaties and 100L of breyani), interactive elements, and an oversized newspaper showcasing the finalists' entries.

THE TEAM

Concept, experience design, menu design, culinary curation: Studio H

Food collaborators: Seven Colours Eatery, Yoraya Nydoo

DJs: Ready D, Kixi

Graphic design: Spook Design Co.

THE CLIENT

Nando's

THE BRIEF

Create a series of content for Nando's social channels (stills and video) amplifying the launch of two new Nando's Bag 'n Bake flavours.

THE RESULT

In tandem with the launch of the Nando's #PERiTricks activation, Studio H produced content (stills and video) to support the launch of the two new Bag 'n Bake flavours. Content was published across Nando's social channels (Youtube shorts, Tiktok, Instagram, brand website) with a range of digital and IRL recipe cards. Aimed at a younger demographic, we added some non-traditional ways of cooking, should you not have access to a full kitchen as a student. Aligned with the brand's deep South African roots, all recipes celebrate local flavours, with recipe names giving a nod to iconic pop culture moments.

Some of the recipes featured are "Private Skool Skopas" (a play on Rice Krispies treats) made in a tumble dryer, "A Boerie is a plan" made with a steam iron, "iMover and Shaker", a shake-shake slaw recipe made by shaking ingredients in the Bag 'n Bake bag.

THE TEAM

Concept and production: Studio H

Recipe development: Studio H, Keletso Motau, Strone Henry

Recipe styling: Keletso Motau

Videos: Yellow Brick Media

Stills photography: Daniela Zondagh