DStv’s beloved Kokkedoor food reality series is returning to kykNET with a classic twist, and the next instalment, Kokkedoor: Klassiek, promises to celebrate South Africa’s rich food heritage with fresh energy, new talent and two exceptional judges at the helm.
This season, contestants will be guided and judged by award-winning food writer, magazine editor and television personality Herman Lensing, alongside acclaimed chef and restaurateur Jess van Dyk, executive chef and owner of Post & Pepper in Stellenbosch.
With entries now open, aspiring contestants are invited to sharpen their knives, dust off their treasured family recipes and take their place in the Kokkedoor kitchen.
At the heart of Kokkedoor is a unique team format where a passionate home cook is paired with a professional chef. Together, they combine cherished food memories, family recipes and professional technique to reimagine South African classics in exciting and heartfelt ways.
“Our food heritage is a rich treasure chest of remembered recipes and stories that you simply won’t find anywhere else in the world in the way you do here in South Africa,” says Lensing.
“With Kokkedoor: Klassiek, we want to celebrate those stories and recipes all over again.
“Food brings us together and unites us, and this season is about celebrating what makes us unique through food. Innovation is, after all, the key ingredient in building on and developing our food heritage.
“People must remember that Kokkedoor is not only for experienced chefs. It is also for the aunties, uncles and older generation who know how South African food should taste and who want to share their cooking memories and experiences. The DNA of our remembered food lives in their hands.
“We want to see your unique personality in your entry – and, of course, you must also be able to cook good food.”
Raised in Kuruman in the Northern Cape, Van Dyk grew up with recipes passed down through generations and guarded like family treasures. Her love for food later took her to the prestigious Silwood School of Cookery and then to La Colombe, where she started working in 2012 after completing her studies.
In 2022, she opened Post & Pepper in Stellenbosch, an intimate restaurant known for ingredient-driven cooking, technical precision and thoughtful hospitality.
For Van Dyk, becoming a Kokkedoor judge is a full-circle moment: “Just like every prospective contestant, I am childishly excited and nervous, because this is such an incredible opportunity for me too,” she says.
