Every chef leaves footprints.
Some leave them in restaurant kitchens. Some leave them in books, on television screens, in product development kitchens, in vineyards, or in classrooms. Some leave them in the memories of guests who remember a meal years later.
But, some leave footprints so distinctive that they become part of the culinary landscape itself.
At the ICA, we often speak about the achievements of our graduates as a testimony to their culinary education. We celebrate the awards, the restaurants, the books, the television appearances, and the businesses they build. Yet if you look closely at the journeys of ICA alumni over the past three decades, a more interesting story begins to emerge.
It is a story of FooDprints – the marks left behind by individuals who may have followed very different paths, but who all started in the same place.
Today, ICA graduates can be found throughout the culinary world.
Think of Peter Tempelhoff (ICA Class of 1997), arguably the most highly awarded chef in SA to emerge from the ICA. Nearly three decades ago, he arrived on campus wearing a bandana — a detail that has become part of ICA folklore, given the school’s famously exacting standards! Today, he stands among South Africa’s most celebrated culinary figures. His restaurant, FYN, has been ranked among the World’s Top 100 Restaurants, named Best Restaurant in Africa, awarded as the 2026 Eat Out Restaurant of the Year, received the World’s 50 Best Sustainable Restaurant Award, and earned him the distinction of becoming the first South African chef to receive Three Knives at The Best Chef Awards. Unmatched.
Think of Kobus van der Merwe (ICA Class of 2000), whose remote Strandveld restaurant, Wolfgat, captured the heart and attention of the world and redefined what South African cuisine could be. From a small fishing village on the West Coast, he created a restaurant that was named Restaurant of the Year and Best Off-Map Destination in the World, proving that global culinary influence is not determined by geography, but by vision.
Think of Jacques Erasmus (ICA Class of 2001), whose Hemelhuijs became a destination where food, design, art and hospitality merge into something entirely unique. His work is often spoken about in artistic rather than purely culinary terms. Like a painter, he layers colour, texture, emotion and storytelling into every aspect of the guest experience. It is perhaps no coincidence that conversations about Jacques frequently evoke comparisons with artists such as Vincent van Gogh — not because of stylistic similarities, but because both possess an extraordinary ability to observe the world around them and transform those observations into deeply personal creative expressions.
Think of Vickie de Beer (ICA Class of 1997), who took her culinary training into publishing and became one of South Africa’s most respected food editors and authors. Yet her influence extends well beyond recipe development. Through collaborations with nutritionists and medical professionals such as Dr Stephen Schmidt and Kath Megaw, she has authored books addressing diabetes management, gut health, low-carb lifestyles and nutrition education, helping thousands of people use food as a tool for improved health and wellbeing.
Then there are Herman Lensing (ICA Class of 2009) and Zola Nene (ICA Class of 2009), whose work in food media and, most recently, on the acclaimed series MasterChef, has inspired countless home cooks and aspiring chefs to pursue their dreams, improve their culinary prowess and appreciate the finer side of cooking and pâtisserie.
There are also Piet Marais (ICA Class of 2003) and Frik Oosthuizen (ICA Class of 2012), whose unique entrepreneurial vision, together with partner Eduan Naude, helped grow Santa Anna’s into a thriving food manufacturing and product development business with products reaching far beyond South Africa’s borders.
Then, there are graduates (ICA Class of 2003) Hylton and Petro Espey, who took their South African roots and ICA training to the United Kingdom, where they have built something truly remarkable. Through their restaurant, Culture, they have demonstrated that sustainability, craftsmanship and exceptional hospitality can exist in perfect harmony, earning a Michelin Green Star and multiple AA Rosettes along the way. Their journey is a reminder that ICA FooDprints are not confined by geography—they can be found anywhere passion, purpose and perseverance come together.
There is Angelo Scirocco (ICA Class of 2012), whose culinary journey led him to open Brugarol in Barcelona, where he has become part of one of the world’s most vibrant and dynamic food cultures. Combining classical technique with an international outlook, Angelo’s career reflects the confidence and adaptability that define so many ICA graduates. His story is yet another example of how an ICA education provides not only a foundation in culinary excellence but the ability to step onto the global stage and leave a distinctive mark of one’s own. Watch this space.
Think, also, of Johnny Hamman, whose career demonstrates that culinary creativity knows no boundaries. Through John Joseph – Catering Avantgarde, he has built a brand centred around immersive food experiences, combining exceptional cuisine, hospitality, design and event curation into a distinctive creative offering. His entrepreneurial journey extends beyond events into multiple hospitality ventures, proving that a chef’s influence can reach far beyond the kitchen itself. In Johnny’s world, food is not simply served; it becomes part of a larger story, thoughtfully crafted to create memorable experiences and lasting connections.
There are hundreds more whose names may never appear on television screens or award stages, yet who quietly leave their own FooDprints every day throughout the hospitality industry. What makes these stories remarkable is not that they are identical. It is that they are all so different. In fact, if you had met many of them when they first arrived at the ICA, you may never have predicted where their journeys would lead.
The ICA seeks to develop individuals, to refine talent, to challenge assumptions, to teach students not only how to cook, but how to think about culinary art. Over time, the rough edges become polished, the skills sharpened and the possibilities expand. The result is not a collection of graduates cut from the same cloth. Rather, they are cut from a different cloth to their industry peers altogether.
ICA philosophy has always recognised that culinary excellence requires curiosity, discipline, resilience, creativity, humility and a willingness to keep learning long after graduation. Perhaps nowhere is this lifelong relationship more evident than in the connections that continue long after students leave campus.
Twenty years ago, it was Vickie de Beer (during her time as Food Editor for Rooi Rose) who introduced Letitia and Kobus Prinsloo to the small Italian village of Frontino. They fell in love with the region and eventually purchased a home there, a place they continue to visit annually. What began as a recommendation from a former student became a source of inspiration that still enriches the ICA experience today. Through visits to world-class restaurants, producers, artisans and markets, new ideas, perspectives and culinary discoveries continue to find their way back into ICA classrooms and kitchens.
In this way, the FooDprints continue.
One graduate influences a principal …
A principal influences future students …
Those students become graduates ….
And those graduates go on to influence the industry.
The circle continues.
This may be the most remarkable legacy of all – not the awards, not the television appearances, not even the international recognition, but the fact that for more than thirty years, ICA graduates have continued to shape the future of food in ways both visible and invisible. Their FooDprints can be found everywhere.
Each FooDprint tells a different story and together, they tell the story of an institution whose greatest achievement is not what happens within its walls, but what happens long after its students leave the campus grounds. Because ultimately, a culinary education is not measured by the dishes a chef creates while studying.
It is measured by the FooDprints they leave behind.
