S2-29. The Kraal Restaurant - Susan Dehosse

At The Kraal Restaurant on Joostenberg Farm, Susan Dehosse is cooking from a place that predates current trends around farm-to-table experiences. In this episode of A Table in the Corner, we talk about how a working farm, a family legacy, and a career shaped in European kitchens come together in a restaurant that feels both grounded and personal.Susan traces her path from early training in Stellenbosch and at Le Quartier Français to the discipline of London’s 3 Michelin starred Waterside Inn, before returning to South Africa to help build restaurants during the early wave of post-1994 growth. Alongside her husband Christophe, she played a role in explosion of Western Cape restaurant culture. At Joostenberg, that experience is filtered through something more instinctive. The Kraal sits on the family farm where her grandmother once cooked simple meals in the post-war years so the family could keep the farm. That thread of practicality and generosity still runs through the food today, but it’s balanced with classical technique and a lighter, more considered approach to structure and flavour.The conversation also moves through the growth of Klein Joostenberg Bistro & Deli, the realities of building a sustainable farm business, and the importance of people in long-term operations. Susan speaks candidly about stepping into her own space at The Kraal, supported by a team that has grown with the business over decades.www.rwm2012.comOn Instagram @a_table_inthecornerCover image sketched by Courtney Cara LawsonAll profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise creditedTitle music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay