WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE – A ONE NIGHT ONLY COLLABORATION BETWEEN IVOR JONES AND WESLEY RANDLES  FOR A WILD SOURCED, WOOD FIRED DINNER AT CHEFS WAREHOUSE BEAU CONSTANTIA

South Africa, July 2025 – On Saturday 16 August, two of South Africa’s most respected chefs and long-time friends, Ivor Jones of Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia and Wesley Randles of Nevermind in Cape St Francis, will join forces for a one-night-only culinary collaboration titled Where The Wild Things Are: A Huntsman Tasting Menu. This menu will be shaped by what the two chefs gather just days before in the Elands River Valley in the Eastern Cape, where they will head out on foot for a two-day hunt. The result will be a dinner that is raw, honest, and rooted in respect for the animals, the land, and the people who will eventually sit down to eat.

A Return to Shared Roots

Jones and Randles first cooked together at La Colombe and later as part of the team at the acclaimed The Test Kitchen. Though their careers have taken different paths, they’ve remained close, and the idea of cooking together again has come up many times over the years. Wesley has been hunting for some time now, guided by a quiet, respectful approach that sees every part of the animal used and nothing taken lightly. Ivor, long curious about the deeper purpose behind Wesley’s way of cooking and sourcing, had always wanted to learn more – not just about the flavour, but about the thinking behind it.

“This felt like the right moment,” says Jones. “Wesley’s approach to hunting is incredibly considered, it is about food, responsibility, and understanding where what you cook really comes from. I’ve always admired that, and this collaboration came from a place of wanting to experience it firsthand. It’s not a concept or a project, it’s something real that reflects where we both are now, and what matters to us.”

Two Chefs, Two Distinct Styles

Wesley Randles left behind the world of high-end Cape Town kitchens to settle with his young family in Cape St Francis, where he now runs Nevermind, a lighthouse-side restaurant that seats 220 and pulses with a deep sense of place. By day, he serves casual coastal fare. At night, Nevermind transforms,  offering relaxed fine dining prepared entirely over wood fire.

His style of cooking is guided by simplicity and intention. At Nevermind, everything is done over open fire – no gas, no shortcuts – just wood, smoke, time and a philosophy of “waste nothing” underscore everything from preparation to plating. Hunting wasn’t always part of the plan, but after joining a local hunt in the early days of his move, Wesley found himself on a new path – one of skill, purpose and deep engagement with his environment.

For him, it’s never about sport. “The hunt is purposeful and methodical, from 25 to 30 kilometres on foot, to ensuring a single, clean shot. Every part of the animal is used to feed my family, and my guests.”

Ivor Jones channels his energy into layered, globe-roaming plates at Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia, perched above the valley with views as considered as the dishes themselves. His style is bold and sensory, full of movement and unexpected turns, flavours that zigzag across continents, often anchored by his love of Southeast Asian cooking and the smoky depth of the coal-fired oven at the heart of the kitchen. Rooted in fine dining but never uptight, his food is playful, thoughtful and driven by instinct, drawing on memory, season and the kind of ideas that start with “what if” and end with something delicious.  “The fun part,” says Jones, “is seeing how our two worlds collide, Wesley with his grounded, elemental style, and me with something more playful. But at the end of the day, we’re both driven by respect for the ingredient and how it came to be on the plate.”

The Dinner

Held in the glass-walled dining room of Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia, this eight-course experience promises a rare glimpse into the chefs’ creative processes, sharpened by fire and field.

The details: Saturday 16 August 2025 at 18h30, R1950 per person for 8 courses, Optional wine pairing: R600 per person, 13% gratuity included. Profits from the dinner will be donated to The Reach For A Dream Foundation. 

Book by emailing: cw@beauconstantia.com or call: 021 794 8632

Follow the journey: @chefswarehousebeauconstantia and @nevermind_capestfrancis

For press and media enquiries, contact Lise Manley of Manley Communications Atelier, via lise@publicity.co.za or call +27 (0) 82 828 5168.

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