In December 2023, we at Studio H were thrilled to unveil our 2024/5 Future Food Report during a series of presentations at our Tiny Empire office. As aspiring leaders in culinary innovation, these sessions provided a detailed exploration of upcoming gastronomic trends. Our approach involved comprehensive research, data analysis, and expert insights, all of which were shared with enthusiasm and great OPTIMISM - one of the very prominent themes. The presentations were not only informative but interactive, featuring a flavour museum, a pop-up shop, in-session tastings and a hot sauce workshop. This event underscored our commitment to staying ahead of culinary trends and showcased the dedication we bring to the intricate world of food design.

The team

Concept, experience design, menu design, culinary curation: Studio H

Food collaborators: Ever Peckish, The Fermentary by Sepial, Sweet Lionheart, Two in a Bush, Vinehugger, Lebanese Bakery

Graphic design: Spook Design Co.

Venue: Tiny Empire

THE CLIENT

Adidas

THE BRIEF

We were briefed, alongside six other artists, to re-imagine sustainable footwear for the future for the new adidas concept store in the Waterfront.

THE RESULT

As a future food design studio, our approach is deeply rooted in exploring a sustainable future. With our micro mushroom farm, we celebrate mushrooms for their ability to perform the alchemy of transforming agricultural and other organic waste into a nutritious food source. Growing mushrooms is a unique blend of recycling, science and efficacy. This powerful combination makes them one of the most sustainably produced foods in the world.

The interior of the Stan Smith shoe has been converted into a micro mushroom farm and 3-D texture was added to the exterior of the shoe by sculpting fondant and piped royal icing flavoured with dried mushroom powder. The laces are coloured with natural mushroom dye.

THE TEAM

Concept, micro mushroom farm and laces: Studio H

Exterior design: Sweet LionHeart (Nikki Symons)

THE CLIENT

Embassy of Food, Dutch Design Week 2017, Curated by Marije Vogelzang

THE RESULT

A speculative project imagining the food system in a world where we have only sea water. This project was named by Dezeen as one of 10 most sustainable future foods at DDW 2017.

Following from the installation, Studio H hosted a number of waterless dinners, which imagined the future of food if the water used for agriculture was sea water. The menu included items like fried ostrich egg, strawberry camel milk ice cream and carrot fruit loops. Paired with this were water wise beverages, such as waterless cocktails and beer brewed with sea water.

THE CLIENT

V&A Waterfront

THE RESULT

Studio H designed a residency programme and pop-up space at Makers Landing, introducing the next generation of chefs with a popup restaurant concept which invites rising stars to take up residency in a bigger restaurant space, giving them an opportunity to get a taste of running a full-scale restaurant.

THE TEAM

Restaurant design: CLOUT

Interior architect: Walter Train, Tracy-Lee Lynch

Photos: Paris Brummer

THE CLIENT

Laphroaig Taste Trailblazer

THE BRIEF

Create a brand masterclass for a campaign that aims to create affinity with new whisky drinkers.

THE RESULT

A masterclass, immersive sensorial installation and lunch that introduces the brand through tales of peat, salt and fire. Guests interact with a library of sensorial elements that link to the flavour pillars of the whisky, followed by an interactive brand presentation and fire-cooked lunch menu and whisky tasting.

THE TEAM

Concept, design and creative direction: Studio H

Venues: Cradle Boutique Hotel, Emazulwini Restaurant

Photos: Brendan Croft, Stacy Hart

THE CLIENT

Nando's

THE BRIEF

Create an activation for Nando's Vusa at an Anglo event during Mininig Indaba.

THE RESULT

For the Nando’s pop-up at an Anglo event during Mining Indaba 2024, we partnered with Faieez Alexander, the visionary and founder of Fuzzys Koesisters, hailed as the home of Cape Town’s best koesister by KFM. These traditional Cape Malay treats are more than pastries, they symbolise a story of resilience and a rich heritage. We served up Nando's Vusa-infused PERi-koesister ice cream sandwiches in The Residency at Makers Landing. This pop-up restaurant space was designed in collaboration with Clout/SA, a Nandos-led design programme that facilitates collaboration between designers and the hospitality sector.

Anglo event production: True North Event Design
Fabric pattern design: Thandazani Nofingxana
Packaging pattern design: Bonolo Chepape

THE CLIENT

Woolworths

THE BRIEF

Design an activation that brings Woolworths' immersive digital Farming For The Future campaign to life at Decorex Cape Town.

THE RESULT

We designed an 4-day activation aimed to showcase the visionary Farming for the Future campaign. The initiative and its overarching commitment “For Our Collective Tomorrow” intends to herald a new era in farming practices. Through an interactive installation, Decorex visitors were encouraged to make a pledge to reduce their impact on the environment in exchange for an apple.

Visitors were reminded of ways in which they can reduce our impact:

• Save energy at home
• Change your home's source of energy
• Walk, bike or take public transport
• Switch to an electric vehicle
• Consider your travel
• Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
• Eat more vegetables
• Throw away less food

THE TEAM

Concept, design and activation: Studio H

Photos and video: Warren Talmarkes

Vinyls and lifesavers: Longlife Lettering

Thank you: Decorex and Bielle Bellingham

Stand build: Happinest

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THE BRIEF

Design and curate a Dine & Design event

THE RESULT

The inaugural Dine & Design dinner, hosted at Tiny Empire, was the opening of Design Week 2023 and a celebration of 30 years of House & Leisure and Decorex. We wanted all guests to be able to celebrate in one space, but also create a relaxed environment that felt like an intimate dinner party. So guests enjoyed starters and desserts together, and mains was served at various intimate dinner spaces, hosted and created by House & Leisure's team of editors.

Our starter course was an ode to millets. Handmade millet crisps were served in Niknaks packets, symbolising that (due to various complex reasons) maize replaced millet as a staple crop across the continent. The millet crisps were flavoured with maize chip dust made from chips that the guests brought to the dinner.

Main course was served by chef PJ Vadas and the Vadas team from Spier Wine Farm.

The dessert, prepared by the Studio H team, was a banana party - an assortment of banoffee pie, fresh bananas, banana candies, banana perfume and a banana soundtrack.

THE TEAM

Host venue: Tiny Empire

Event hosts: House & Leisure, Decorex

Dinner party hosts: Charl Edwards, Bielle Bellingham, Sumien Brink, Karen Dudley, Tracy-Lee Lynch, Stevie Whiteman

Main course: PJ Vadas

Wine: Spier Wine Farm

Floral design: Mr Munro

Concept, starters, dessert: Studio H

THE CLIENT

Scape Magazine

THE BRIEF

Create three installations (including something to eat and drink) for the SCAPE Trade Show that tie in with the overarching theme of ‘What If’, where we will be pushing the boundaries of convention, unravelling the threads of possibility, and weaving narratives that bridge the gap between the fantastical and the tangible.

THE RESULT

G&Sea

What if you could harvest or drink sea water? SCAPE & Studio H in collaboration with Pienaar & Son presents G&Sea, a salty and delicious cocktail of origin the Atlantic Ocean. This concept challenges our palate and perception, exploring the fusion of taste, sustainability, and culinary creativity through a speculative scenario of a world where consuming sea water becomes a normal part of our diets. G&Sea sparks a dialogue about a future where our culinary boundaries know no bounds, inviting us to taste the unimaginable.

Veggie Lights

What if vegetables could power lights? SCAPE & Studio H in collaboration with Mr Munro explore the possibilities of a world in which ordinary fruit and vegetables could power our grid. Imagine these seemingly ordinary pantry staples become extraordinary power sources for generations to come.

Coffee Sausage

What if we could eat our coffee? SCAPE & Studio H in collaboration with Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants present a breakfast alternative of coffee-infused sausages. Picture a world where your morning ritual takes on a whole new dimension – a daily dose of energy isn't just sipped, but savoured as a culinary delight, allowing us to reimagine our culinary traditions.

THE TEAM

Concept and production: Studio H

G&Sea: Pienaar & Son Distillery

‍G&Sea label design: Koos Groenewald

‍Veggie Lights: Mr Munro Flowers

‍Coffee Sausage: Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants

‍Photos: Paris Brummer

THE CLIENT

Beanstalk for PUMA South Africa

THE BRIEF

Create a bold and immersive food experience for the relaunch of the iconic PUMA Mostro sneaker – a cult classic originally released in 1999 – hosted inside Cape Town’s Castle of Good Hope.

THE RESULT

A visceral menu and interactive food installations brought the surreal Mostro Lab to life – a space imagined as the inner workings of a living monster. The menu included molten synapse s’mores with black sesame shortbread, charcoal crackers dipped into neon pink hummus and golden split pea purée, glow-in-the-dark neurotropic caviar and charcoal bao filled with sticky soy lion’s mane and coffee-chilli beef. At the top of a winding staircase, a glow-in-the-dark jelly installation awaited in a hidden chamber.

THE TEAM

Concept, menu and experience design: Studio H

Chef: Strone Henry

Service staff: Hero Events

Photos: Jonx Pillemer

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THE CLIENT

That Food Guy Group for Mela and STANLIB

THE BRIEF

Curate an immersive tasting experience for the final session of the STANLIB Offshore Summit, aiming to provide the audience with an unexpected and surprising interaction.

THE RESULT

A tasting experience featuring the exceedingly rare Kalahari Truffles spirits, with a production run of fewer than 2 500 bottles worldwide. The tasting, presented by Angie Smith, included a visual presentation on the story of the elusive Kalahari Truffle, the communities that harvest them, and how these products exemplify the inspiring movement of ingredients with an impact. The spirits – Kalahari Truffles Vodka and Kalahari Truffles and Wild Honey Aperitif – were paired with African-sourced chocolate and salted ganache truffles, Kalahari Truffle cured venison biltong, and organic spiced nuts.

THE TEAM

Concept and production: Studio H

Presenter: Angie Smith

Staffing: Lemeese Baartman, Hero Events

Photos: Dale Herbst

THE CLIENT

Kove Collection

THE BRIEF

Shoot content to launch the new restaurant's menu offering on their website and social media platforms.

THE RESULT

Restaurant menu items shot against graphic interior elements in the background. Simple pastry patters on monotone backgrounds to launch the bakery menu.

THE TEAM

Production: JC Landman

Photography: Paris Brummer, Warren Talmarkes, Daniela Zondagh

Styling: Juwan Beyers

At the 2022 Food XX Awards, we honoured a group of 19 women from across South Africa - and beyond - for their outstanding contributions to the food and hospitality industry. For this event, the Studio H team designed a neutral canvas that would represent our equality-themed Awards breakfast ceremony. We collaborated with some of our favourite women in food to produce the all-neutral breakfast spread of Wild Yeast edible sourdough cracker plates, Sweet LionHeart regal cakes (bright pink on the inside) and Studio H’s souttert cakes decorated by the SLH team with cream cheese frosting and gold glitter olives, soetkoekie forks and of course Krone Cap Classique to toast our winners.

THE TEAM

Programme MC: Khanya Mzongwana

Ayurvedic tea and meditation ceremony: Michele Mistry, Indikaap

Imphepho installation and intention setting: Ukutya

Keynote speech: Mmabatho Molefe, Emazulwini

Continental Connections: Anna Trapido

Thank you to our sponsors:

Event sponsor: Spekko Rice

Venue sponsor: Makers Landing

Awards sponsors: Spekko Rice, Krone, Nando's

Trophy plates: The Detailsmith

Publicity team: Ten X Collective

Social media team: Star Shongwe, Zanie Nxa

Production design: JC Landman

Culinary design: Juwan Beyers

Photos: Daniela Zondagh

Floral design: Mr Munro‍

Ingredients

• 1 kg Dutoit shallots
• 1 kg Granny Smith apples
• 20 ml dried thyme
• 900 ml white wine vinegar
• 500 g brown sugar
• 200 g sultanas
• 10 ml salt
• 5 ml crushed black pepper

Method

• Peel and thinly slice the shallots. 
• Peel and evenly dice the apples. 
• Add all the ingredients into a large pot and allow to cook at a low heat until caramlised. 
• The chutney is ready when all the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is a light caramel colour. 
• Place into a glass jar with a sealed lid. Store in the fridge for at least one week before using. 
• This chutney can last in the refrigerator for at least six months.

Developed in collaboration with Dutoit, available from our Birthday Shop.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023). Millet, an ancient grain, is indigenous to South Africa, and has the potential to play a major role in addressing climate change and food security. The Millets Report includes articles by many experts; from nutritional benefits by Mpho Tshukudu, recipes by Khanya Mzongwana and Tapiwa Guzha, to a humorous column by Dr Anna Trapido, a manifesto for the Sorghum Agenda by Zandile Finxa and a personal essay by Mokgadi Itsweng.

THE TEAM

Contributors: Khanya Mzongwana, Tapiwa Guzha, Mpho Tshukudu, Mokgadi Itsweng, Zandile Finxa, Dr Anna Trapido, Lynette Botha

Copy editing: Lynette Botha, JC Landman

Table scapes in millet flour: Hendrik Coetzee

Recipe styling: Khanya Mzongwana

Millet photos styling: Juwan Beyers

Photos: Daniela Zondagh

INGREDIENTS

• 155 g roasted broccoli
• 315 g roasted butternut
• 1 pack vegetarian chipolatas (Woolies)
• 2 cups cheddar, grated
• 1 onion, grated
• 30ml peppadews, chopped
• 500 ml milk
• 4 eggs
• 125 ml flour
• 10 ml baking powder

METHOD

• Pre heat the oven to 180 °C.
• Mix everything together and bake for 45 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Let cool in tin for 30 min, turn out and cool completely.
• Frost with savoury butter and cream cheese frosting.

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Photos: Nikki Symons, Sweet LionHeart

Studio H designed an interactive installation, Don't Feed The Birds, to launch our Millets Report in the Future of Design area at Decorex in Cape Town. We wanted to highlight that millets are mostly only available as bird feed in our supermarket aisles. Our stand navigated visitors through a collection of bird baths by Kassa Studio, that were filled with either bird seeds or millet brownies (for human consumption).

THE TEAM

Project Manager: JC Landman

Concept: Hendrik Coetzee, Juwan Beyers

Floor vinyl design: Hoick

Bird Baths: Kassa Studio

Photos: Paris Brummer

INGREDIENTS

• 250 g all-purpose wheat flour
• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 225 g brown sugar
• 75 g oats
• 25 g full cream milk or almond milk
• 1 whole organic egg (50-55 g in weight)
• 150 g dark chocolate
• 10 g vanilla extract or the marrow of 1/2 vanilla bean
• 10 - 15 g finely ground ginger
• 2,5 g fine sea salt
• 5 g baking soda
• Sea salt flakes as topping (smoked sea salt is optional)

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 170 °C.
• In a large bowl, sift the flour, fine salt, ginger and baking soda. Add the oats.
• In another large mixing bowl, using a spatula, beat the softened butter and sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, milk, vanilla extract and blend.
• Stir the butter-sugar-egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the dark chocolate. Stir and fold until well incorporated. Chill 15 minutes in the freezer.
• Roll the dough into balls weighing 85 grams each. Place all the prepared balls on a lined baking tray. Place them in the freezer for 10 or up to 30 minutes.
• Arrange 6 dough balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spacing them evenly on the tray as they will spread during baking.
• Bake them for 15 -18 minutes or until golden around the edges. They may look slightly under-baked at this stage but they will harden once cooled.
• Once out of the oven, sprinkle a little smoked sea salt flakes on each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 15 minutes, then, carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.
• Optional: leave a thumb print in the middle of the cookies before baking and top cookies after baking with any jam of your choice (we love using plum jam for this recipe).

Makes 10 cookies.

Recipe by Terri Salminen, Food Design Playground

MASHED POTATO SALAD, BRAAIED TROUT AND BOEREJONGENS

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 400 g trout fillet
• 30 ml olive oil
• 1 T salt
• 1 T black pepper
• 1 fresh lemon
• 700 g baby potatoes
• 2 egg yolks
• 250 ml sunflower oil
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• ½ t mild curry paste
• ½ t garlic, minced
• 1 t salt
• 1 t black pepper
• 10 g flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 10 g fresh curry leaves, deep-fried
• 1 cup boerejongens (brandy-preserved grapes)

METHOD

• Portion the trout into 4 equal pieces, rub the fillets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Braai in a hinged grid for 5 minutes on each side, flesh side first.
• Before taking off the braai, squeeze a generous amount of fresh lemon juice on the fish.
• Throw the baby potatoes into the coals and bury them under the hot ashes for 15–20 minutes until soft inside.
• Take out of the coals and let cool down.
• Peel the potatoes once cooled and set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl add the egg yolks, white wine vinegar, mustard, curry paste, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Drip the oil little by little into the mixture while whisking constantly until all the oil is incorporated and the aioli is thick.
• Mix the aioli with the baby potatoes and mix through the chopped parsley.
• Garnish with the deep-fried curry leaves.
• Place a small bed of the potato salad on a plate, place a piece of trout on top and finish off with a few cheeks of boerejongens.
• Serve as a starter or light main course.

DRIED BRAAI SNOEK, BRAAIED COS LETTUCE AND PLUM SALAD WITH KAAIMANSGAT VINAIGRETTE

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 wind-dried snoek
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 T quince jelly
• ½ lemon, juiced and zested
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 small cos lettuce heads, halved
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 T Maldon salt
• Black pepper
• 4 ripe plums, halved
• 2 T honey, melted
• ¼ cup pecan nuts, roasted and chopped
• ½ cup labneh
• 10 g chopped coriander
• 1 t cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T Kaaimansagat Blanc de Blancs
• 2 t white wine vinegar
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• ½ t garlic, minced
• 1 t salt
• 4 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T sunflower oil

METHOD

• In a small saucepan melt the butter over the fire, add the garlic and let sizzle for one minute, mix through the quince jelly, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper.
• Cut the dried snoek into manageable pieces, and place over the hot coals on the braai.
• Braai until golden and crispy on each side, lather with the butter sauce on both sides, cooking for 1 min on each side after.
• Remove from braai and place on a big platter and brush over the rest of the butter sauce to soak into the snoek.
• While the coals are still medium hot, place the halved cos lettuce heads on the grill and cook until they are golden brown and caramelised, do the same with the plums and brush them with the melted honey just before they are done.
• Place the labneh into a small mixing bowl, mix through the chopped coriander and olive oil.
• In a measuring jug, place the Kaaimansgat, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, and salt and mix together.
• In another measuring jug, mix the olive oil and sunflower oil.
• Pour the oil into the mustard mixture while whisking constantly, and until thick and emulsified.
• Assemble the salad by layering the cos at the bottom, scatter the plum halves and dollop the labneh.
• Serve the snoek and salad together.

CONDENSED MILK STOKBROOD WITH MATURE CHEDDAR AND MOSKONFYT

Serves: 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• ½ cup condensed milk
• 35 g yeast / 10 g instant yeast
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 t salt
• 45 g butter, melted
• 600 g bread flour
• 100 g farm butter
• 1 block (200 g) mature cheddar
• ½ cup moskonfyt

METHOD

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.
• Add the condensed milk, salt, egg and cooled butter.
• Gradually add flour until a kneadable dough forms.
• Turn out on surface and knead until smooth and elastic (±8–10 minutes).
• Place in lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel, leave to stand in a warm place until doubled in size.
• Knead the dough again for 1–2 minutes and divide into 6 equal size sausages.
• Wrap the dough sausages around sturdy vine branches.
• Allow to rest and proof until puffy.
• Cook the stokbrood over the coals, turning constantly until golden brown and cooked through.
• Serve the warm stokbrood with farm butter, mature cheddar and moskonfyt as a cheese course dessert.

Studio H prides itself on being at the forefront of culinary innovation in the intricate world of food design. One of the core elements in staying ahead of the curve is food trend forecasting, which requires comprehensive research, data analysis, and expert insights to predict future food trends. Embracing this strategic approach, we are excited to announce the release of our 2025/6 Future Food Report — an in-depth, carefully curated forecast of the gastronomic landscape that lies ahead.

We recently hosted a series of in-person sessions to present the latest report to clients and industry friends. You can order and download the report in our online shop.

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