From Cook to World-Class Chef
- Alumni
- Awards
Arum Restaurant at Boschendal
Nearly three decades ago, a young Peter Tempelhoff stepped onto the Institute of Culinary Arts (ICA) campus in the Banhoek Valley — bandana tied around his hair, ambition blazing — as part of the ICA’s very first intake of students in 1996. Even then, his drive and passion for excellence stood out, and with careful, meticulous training, ICA founder and principal, Letitia Prinsloo trained and cultivated the first class of greatness. Today, Peter stands among South Africa’s most celebrated and globally awarded chefs, a true reflection of the standard of culinary mastery the ICA has always strived to develop.
Now, almost 30 years later, Peter returns to the very valley where his culinary journey began, with the exciting opening of Arum Restaurant, his latest venture at Boschendal, just a stone’s throw from the ICA campus. The symbolism could not be more fitting. Every year, wild arum lilies bloom across the Banhoek Valley, including on the ICA campus itself, standing tall and pure, a quiet emblem of growth, renewal, and timeless beauty. Arum Restaurant marks a full-circle moment not only in Peter’s personal journey but also in the ICA’s legacy of nurturing chefs who continue to shape and elevate South Africa’s culinary landscape. In the pastry kitchen at Arum, another ICA graduate, Byrone Gaffoor (Class of 2021) will be executing his fine pâtisserie skills, further weaving the thread throughout the network of ICA graduates that form and support a steadfast culinary brotherhood, not only in South Africa, but even beyond its borders all over the world.
As one of the few South African chefs to have achieved international acclaim and multiple global awards, Peter’s achievements continue to inspire both alumni and students. Peter will continue his celebrated philosophy of sustainability at Arum, letting nature dictate the rhythm and honouring the seasons as the gardens provide produce for the menu. The ICA takes immense pride in seeing one of its earliest graduates bring his vision and artistry back to where it all began.
In honour of this milestone, ICA’s third-year students have been tasked with Arum Restaurant as a case study for their final-year theses, exploring the innovation, philosophy and operational dynamics behind this new restaurant. The students even had the privilege of visiting the Arum site during its construction phase, gaining valuable insights into what it takes to conceptualise and bring to life a world-class dining experience from the ground up.
Peter’s project in the Banhoek Valley is more than just a new restaurant opening — it’s a story of roots, growth and return. It reflects the ICA’s enduring impact, its world-class training and the lifelong connection that binds its alumni to the place where their culinary journeys began.
Just as the arum lily continues to bloom season after season in the valley, so too does the ICA’s legacy. Ever-growing, ever-inspiring.
