Reuben Riffel

Reuben Riffel (born 23 December 1974) is a South African celebrity chef, restaurateur, and media personality known for his food-focused television shows and advertisements, cookbooks and philanthropic work.

Early life

Reuben Riffel was born in Franschhoek, Cape Province, South Africa, on 23 December 1974. He is one of three siblings, and grew up in an area called Groendal, a valley in Franschhoek. Riffel grew up in a family where cooking and eating well played an important role. His mother was intermittently involved in the restaurant industry and his father was involved in the building and construction industry. She occasionally brought home morsels from the restaurants where she worked and in this way Riffel first developed his palate for good food. Riffel attended high school in Paarl. He recalls that he liked working with his hands. Riffel moved to Cambridge, England, to run a startup restaurant, Bruno's Brasserie, which soon drew in the crowds. and a bistro-style offering named Racine, at the Chamonix Wine Estate in Franschhoek, where his culinary career began. Riffel’s philosophy is to keep things simple, bringing out the natural flavours of each ingredient, and to strive for perfect balance in the finished dish.

Riffel continues to be hands-on involved in all restaurants and thus splits his time between establishments.

Restaurants

Television In 2011, Riffel appeared on both The Martha Stewart Show and The Today Show. In June 2012, he was a guest judge on the second season of the M-Net television cooking competition MasterChef South Africa. In 2013, Riffel also hosted his first Afrikaans cooking show, 5 Sterre met Reuben (5 Stars with Reuben), in which he taught viewers how to make five-star dishes at home. In 2014, he replaced Andrew Atkinson as a permanent judge on MasterChef South Africa, beginning with its third season. Riffel, Pete Goffe-Wood and Benny Masekwameng comprised the judging panel, and Riffel hosted the third season as well as a Celebrity MasterChef season in 2015. He is the face of Robertsons Herbs and Spices and presents television adverts featuring different recipes using Robertsons Herbs and Spices. He is also a brand ambassador for Samsung Home Appliances in South Africa. Reuben Cooks: Food is time travel (2008), – a collection of Reuben's favourite recipes from around the world. Reuben Cooks Local (2011), – a collection of Reuben's favourite South African feasts and focus on easy-to-follow recipes and local ingredients. Braai: Reuben on Fire (2013), – a reflection of the quintessential South African cooking style.

Accolades

Riffel's work and cooking style earned him the SA Chef of the Year Award in 2004. In the same year, his Franschhoek-based restaurant was awarded the Eat Out Restaurant of the Year Award. Reuben is involved with the Peninsula School Feeding Association (PFSA), Hope Through Action, Hospice and Pinotage Youth Development Academy (PYDA). He is also one of Paarl School's ambassadors, a school for neurally disabled children. in support of the Franschhoek Hospice and the Stop Hunger Now South Africa charity dinner.