THE CLIENT

Sensory FX

THE BRIEF

Create a mechanism for us to showcase the way in which we develop flavours.

THE RESULT

We designed an olfactory experience for Sensory FX to showcase their flavour creation journey in a memorable way. The experience included various olfactory touchpoints and immersive moments. We based our design on research by neuroscientists, proving that stronger memories are formed the more a person participates in a particular activity and the more senses are engaged.

THE TEAM

Studio H

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.

We do in-depth trend and/or flavour presentations based on the reports that we publish. A recent presentation included a flavour immersion presentation to the global staff component of a FMCG foods business. The presentation would include a synopsis of the relevant report(s), designed specifically to the businesses' brands and objectives. 

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THE CLIENT

KRAAKTAFEL

THE BRIEF

The KRAAKTAFEL is a dining experience created and curated by Kraak, embracing vulnerability in nature. For this special New Year's Eve edition, we were tasked with designing a shared feast that celebrated fire, bold flavours, and the joy of communal dining.

THE RESULT

In collaboration with chef Mmabatho Molefe, we designed a menu that embraced generous, fire-cooked flavours and interactive, shareable moments. The evening began with a striking 20-meter mille-feuille braaibroodjie installation on arrival. The bread course featured rosemary tear-and-share bread served with butter blocks and a hummus rich with sundried-tomato and olives. Starters included a vibrant green goddess salad and delicate yellowtail ceviche, cured in coconut tiger’s milk with apple, red onion, fresh coriander, and curry oil. The main feast was cooked over an open fire – spatchcock chicken with salsa verde, whole Tomahawk steak with peppercorn sauce, clay-baked root vegetables, a leek and ricotta galette, and lemon couscous salad brightened with pomegranate, mint, and peach. Dessert brought a duo of indulgence: fire-cooked pineapple with coconut crumb and butterscotch, alongside a shareable dark rum and muscovado brûlée. As the clock struck midnight, the feast ended with Kosgangsta burgers and chips, a fitting way to welcome the new year with comfort and celebration.

THE TEAM

Menu concept, design, culinary curation: Studio H, Mmabatho Molefe

Food collaborator: Mmabatho Molefe

Culinary team: Mmabatho Molefe, Bianca Strydom, Faith Sotondoshe, Wes Watlington, Zandi Bhayi, Strone Henry, Ashleigh Frans, Luyanda Sogiba

Photography and videography: Daniela Zondagh

THE CLIENT

Weylandts

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THE JOB

Design a corn-themed food installation for the launch of the Weylandts x Thebe Magugu collab during Cape Town Furniture Week

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THE MENU

Grilled corn disks with spicy Nik Naks dust

Cheesy corn fritters

Amagwinya with corn and bacon filling

Corn Flakes brittle

Steamed cornbread

Caramel popcorn bracelets

Cornbread cake with xigugu custard and whipped crème fraîche, covered in popcorn

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Concept and menu design: Studio H

Chefs: Mia Everson, Faith Sotondoshe

Art direction for Weylandts: Sanri Pienaar

THE CLIENT

Emazulwini Restaurant

THE BRIEF

Media launch for new menu

THE RESULT

A Millets Celebration that was attended by media and creators to experience the new Emazulwini menu, and a feature and photo shoot included in the Studio H Millets report.

Read part of the feature below.

In celebration of millets, Chef Mmabatho has embarked on a culinary journey that challenges convention. Traditionally associated with humble fare, millets are now at the heart of Emazulwini’s spring menu. It’s a surprising twist that demonstrates the restaurant’s commitment to redefining perceptions about ingredients often dismissed as ‘not fine dining.’ This departure from tradition isn't just about following a trend, it’s an act of creative reinvention. Chef Mmabatho, born and raised in KwaZulu-Natal, has chosen to explore her culinary imagination beyond her childhood recipes. While the flavours and ingredients remain rooted in her family’s culinary traditions, the millet menu allows her to step outside the confines of her own life story.

Emazulwini’s millet-centric menu features three different varieties of millets: pearl millet, fonio, and sorghum. These ancient grains form the basis of a six-course culinary journey that is both a tribute to the past and a vision of a more sustainable future. The menu is meticulously designed to reflect the essence of the spring season, offering dishes that are light, fresh, and vibrant. It’s an embodiment of Emazulwini's philosophy of celebrating the changing seasons and the abundance they bring.

One of the signature dishes, “Lucky's Star,” is a creative tribute to a South African favourite – pilchards in a can. This dish features fried sardines, roasted red pepper, tomato puree, served with a millet and spinach salad composed of pearl millet, fonio, and sorghum. To end the meal on a sweet note, Chef Mmabatho has crafted "An African Love Letter," a dessert that focuses on three foods deeply rooted in Africa but enjoyed worldwide – coffee, chocolate and millet. It takes the form of a millet chocolate tartlet, coffee crémeux, nut crumble, and cardamom and vanilla ice cream, offering a sweet symphony of flavours that pays homage to the continent's culinary legacy.

Read the full feature in our Millets Report.

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Photos: Paris Brummer

Copy: JC Landman

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
Woolworths Farming for the Future

THE BRIEF
Design an interactive spatial experience for Decorex Johannesburg that gives physical and emotional form to the Woolworths Farming for the Future sustainability platform.

THE CONCEPT
A sensory-led installation designed to prompt pause, participation, and behavioural shift. Rooted in regenerative thinking, the experience invited visitors to exchange a ClemenGold for a written pledge, transforming a transactional gesture into an act of commitment. Citrus-scented air and a wall of hand-signed promises created a living archive of collective intention.

THE INTERVENTION
Positioned at the entrance to the 100% Design hall at Decorex Johannesburg, the ClemenGold swap station functioned as both activation and artefact. Visitors were invited to peel their fruit into transparent bins, creating a slow-build, ephemeral data touchpoint, a quiet accumulation that rendered impact visible. The fruit became a medium for interaction, reflection, and design-led storytelling.

THE NUMBERS
6,000+ pledges signed over four days.

THE TEAM
Concept, experience design: Studio H
Stand production: Klara van Wyngaarden
Activation team: Eviwe Qubelo, Jana Wasserman, Mduduzi Miya

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We threw a giant sandwich party on the last Sunday in March with our friends The Maak, Picnic (Faith Shields) and The Lookbook. The activation was the grand finale of The Bree Street Picnic Blanket.

Over a period of two months, public volunteers have helped The MAAK x Picnic sew community-scale picnic blankets, which were rolled out for a day of food, music, and playful public interventions. Anyone could join and volunteers assisted us to make coleslaw that would become the filling for our 20-metre sandwich. The coleslaw ingredients were all combined in a huge tarp by volunteers shaking and raking the salad! View the making of the slaw here.

The Bree Street Picnic Blanket is part of an ongoing research and public art project that explores collective-making as a tool to grow community and activate public space. Sewn together with volunteers, bespoke blankets are used as soft public infrastructure to prompt questions about how to make cities more human-centered, welcoming, comfortable and fun.

This project was part of Young Urbanists’ car-free street experiment. 🦓🛣️

Read more about the project here on The Maak's website.

Project Directors

🪡 ART DIRECTION, PROJECT FACILITATION by The Maak and Picnic (Faith Shields)

The Kitchen

🍞 SANDWICH PARTY by us.

The Stage

🎷 LIVE JAZZ + DJs by The Jazz Cult. Sound by A11 Agency.

The Living Room

🏗️ PROTOSCAPE by Lebo Kekana x NISH Design – A modular installation redefining how we engage with space and art.

The Formal Lounge + Scullery

🎨 DECOR + STYLING by The Lookbook

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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

THE CLIENT

Anglo American

THE BRIEF

Create a disruptive future food-led activation.

THE RESULT

We baked over 1000 millet cookies to create millet milk tart sandwiches with 3D prints for the Anglo American Mining Indaba Gala Dinner. Let’s join forces in the International Year of Millets and discover the full potential of this ancient grain to feed the world and combat climate change.

Get the recipe.

THANK YOU

True North Events

By Holly Beaton

Studio H always has something intriguing in the works, and for their birthday celebration, they unveiled an extraordinary pop-up experience; characterised by their distinct attention to detail and generosity. On arrival, we were ushered into a room housing a dream realised for those of us who favour savoury delights as our first choice: a massive birthday cake adorned with hundreds of candles. Could I have ever imagined experiencing such a colossal cake, drawn from flavours inspired by South Africa's diverse culinary repertoire, and for it to be savoury nogal? The cake featured a half-half combination of 'braai snoek pâté terrine with apricot jam' and 'fior di latte layered braaibroodjie' with cream cheese icing – the perfect introduction for our palates of what was ahead.

Once guests had tucked into a piece of savoury cake, we were guided upstairs – to a dining space, where we were welcomed by a table-scape showcasing the colour-blocking, diversity of objects and proportions signature to Studio H’s bold design-vision. Guided by the number 12 dotted all over – from a stackable, 12-piece bread thread on a needle, to a centre piece in their signature primary colours of blue, red and yellow – with oversized tomatoes and edible menus hanging overhead – the centre-piece continued to delight us all as we uncovered each new, surprising detail.

This is Studio H’s liminal world of merging the fantastical with the realistic, the deliberate with the playful, and in collaboration with Chef Jen, the menu was an exploration rooted in the number 12, with time serving as the guiding principle. Each dish during their mindful dinner was temporally-rooted across technique, ingredient, and presentation – underpinned by the intangible force of nostalgia and ultimately; the joy and wonder that serves as the basis for all their endeavours.  

The culinary journey began with a reimagined ‘Salad Valley’, a throwback to the Waldorf salad – perennially refreshing and nostalgic. Featuring stacked baby gem lettuce leaves, 12-minute smoked grapes, 12-hour pickled apples, a 12-spice pecan nut crunch, alongside celeriac, celery, green beans, and a creamy dressing whipped up in just 12 seconds; served in diner-style baskets. Incredible.

Then, custom ‘KFC’ buckets arrived at the table – filled with NikNaks beer brined buttermilk fried chicken and chips, served with melrose sauce in wax sealed mini-pots; a throwback that centred one of the best snacks tucked into the memory-bank of every South African.  

Next, we were treated to a whiskey-glazed, pressed beef rib slow-cooked for a diligent 100 hours, accompanied by charred creamy corn and a tangy fermented carrot pickle. For this course, we were invited to use Githan Coopoo’s custom cutlery – silverware that had been moulded by the heft of clay, adding a weight to the eating experience which invited us to eat slowly, while the dish itself was served on Studio H’s Mindful Eating Plate by The Detailsmith, featuring cheeky anecdotes revealed with each mouthful; inviting each of our conscience to the fore.

For dessert, ‘Honey Honey’ was an homage to one of the most iconic ageing processes; cheese, an ingredient that gets better with the guiding hand of time. This course was a delightful gingerbread sourdough cookie sandwich filled with fynbos honey brûlée, with shaved 12-month-aged Klein River cheese and a honeycomb crunch.

With bellies full and conversations still rumbling, we were invited to return downstairs; to a communal 5-metre-long Moerkoffie swirl fudge, served with giant Koffie Cookies, coffee – and the option to take home tin-foil swans as mementos. Lasty, a delightful ‘Thyme For Bed’ palate cleanser – resting on wooden toothbrushes waited for us at the exit, with a dollop of thyme and lemon marshmallow tonic. A final, tart and herbaceous mouthful before heading home with our foil swans tucked under our arms.

Studio H gifted us, on their birthday – and I think this sums up the Studio’s essence. Each aspect of the experience was a demonstration of their instinctive understanding of food as a communal experience, in which the senses, memory and emotions work together to evoke new perspectives on how we can engage with the world around us. What will they dream up next? It's hard to conceive; but they’ll need more than another twelve years – to many, many more.

The menu and wine pairing

Course 1

Birthday cake: half-and-half (braai snoek pâte terrine with pickled apricot jam) + (fior di latte layered braaibroodjie) topped with cream cheese

Ambeloui MCC 2012

Course 2

Waldorf inspired stack salad, served inside an iceberg lettuce bowl, with 12 min smoked grapes, 12 hour pickled apple, 12 spice pecan nut crunch and 12 sec creamy dressing

Sijnn White 2012

A dozen micro Marmite crouton loaves, served with micro butter

Course 3

NikNaks bucket: NikNaks beer brined buttermilk fried chicken served with Melrose sauce

Course 4

Super slow beef: Aged 100-hour braised whisky/balsamic glazed beef rib with creamy corn and fermented carrot pickle

Crystallum Bona Fide 2012

Course 5

Honey, honey: Gingerbread sourdough cookie sandwich with fynbos honey brûlée, shaved 12 month Klein River cheese and honeycomb crunch

Course 6

Moerkoffie fudge: 5m long moerkoffie swirl fudge with oversized koffiekoekies

Thank you:

Mindful cutlery: Githan Coopoo

Mindful crockery: The Detailsmith

Birthday candles: Okra Candle

Chef: Jenny Ward

Kitchen Team: Fifi Kusotera, Kabelo Luhle Tala, Ntomboxolo Sidoda, Anake Ngagela

Studio H: JC Landman, Eviwe Qubelo

Event creative director: Nikki Symons

Photos: Daniela Zondagh

Music: Andy Aichison (A11)

Wine curation: Matthew Freemantle, Leo's

Birthday cake: Sweet LionHeart x Chef Jen

Fudge: Afrikoa

Butter: Cream of the Crop

Graphic design: Hoick

Concept: Hannerie Visser, JC Landman

THE CLIENT

Caesarstone

THE BRIEF

Design and produce the awards ceremony for the annual Caesarstone Student Designer Competition. This year, students were invited to create a conceptual and functional design to AMPLIFY an Olympic urban sports centre located in Nantes Park, Athlone.

THE RESULT

Battery Park, a vibrant urban park in the heart of Cape Town, served as the venue for the awards ceremony. The theme was brought to life through an immersive experience featuring amplified food and entertainment (including a 10-metre-long irostile, 1-metre-long sosaties and 100L of breyani), interactive elements, and an oversized newspaper showcasing the finalists' entries.

THE TEAM

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

Food collaborators: Seven Colours Eatery, Yoraya Nydoo

DJs: Ready D, Kixi

Graphic design: Spook Design Co.

THE CLIENT

Masterchef SA Season 4

THE BRIEF

Studio H was tasked to prepare contestants for the show during the two weeks leading up to production as well as with producing specialist challenges for the show.

THE CLIENT

Caesarstone

THE BRIEF

Design and produce the awards ceremony for the annual Caesarstone Student Designer Competition. This year, students were invited to design a Museum of South African Languages located at the Maropeng in the Cradle of Humankind, becoming a vibrant celebration of linguistic diversity and showcasing the richness, history, and evolution of the numerous languages spoken in South Africa.

THE RESULT

The theme came alive through an immersive experience that honoured South Africa’s rich linguistic diversity, expressed creatively through food. Each station celebrated one of South Africa’s 12 official languages, offering a dish that reflected its cultural heritage – from bobotie jaffels to amagwinya and fire-roasted corn to crispy fish fingers. Paying tribute to the Cradle of Humankind – the birthplace of fire – many of the dishes were prepared using traditional fire-cooking methods. The experience concluded on a playful, nostalgic note with a giant jelly and custard installation. Each station featured an interactive sound button in its corresponding language.

THE TEAM

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

Food collaborator: Bianca Strydom

Photo moment: Klara van Wyngaarden

Performance: SPIRIT IN MOTION

Graphic design: Spook Design Co.

Thank you to Sello, Norman and the team at Maropeng

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

Pedersen + Lennard

THE BRIEF

Conceptualise and prepare a lunch menu for a team of designers participating in the Design Week Challenge with a focus on sustainability, recycling and/or up-cycling that captures the essence of collaboration.

THE RESULT

STARTER

3D-printed food waste dip served with ‘plastic’ veggie chips and crackers.

MAINS

Collaborative Sosatie: We asked the design team a few fun questions prior to the event to help us create giant sosaties that represent everyone’s favourite ingredients and flavours — one of the highlights included goat meat. These were braaied on site to perfection by Chef Thabisho Sechogela.

Cricket Flour Irostile: Larger-than-usual irostile infused with cricket flour accompanied by cultured butter.

Shake and Rake Salad: Inspired by Fluxus artist Alison Knowles, we recreated her performance ‘Make A Salad’ which was first performed back in 1962. We got the design team involved and hands-on in ‘shaking’ and ‘raking’ (again) a larger-than-life coleslaw.

DESSERT

DIY Trifle: A next gen dessert giving new life to cake off-cuts donated by our baker friends from Crumb Boutique Bakery and Sweet Lion Heart.

DRINK

G&Sea: In collaboration with Pienaar & Son, a reimagined gin and seawater sourced right from the Atlantic Ocean.

THE TEAM

Studio H

Chef: Thabisho Sechogela

G&Sea: Pienaar & Son

iRostile: Ou Meul Botrivier

Cultured Butter: Cream of the Crop

Cake Offcuts: Crumb Boutique Bakery and Sweet Lionheart

Photos: Samuel Jordan @samsamsamesam

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Thank you Pedersen + Lennard for the inspiring brief and the opportunity to work with your incredible team!

OOI (Only One Ingredient) embodies Studio H’s approach to event dining. A conceptual food offering, focused on one ingredient or theme, that is designed by our team and executed by our chefs — for events of any size or scale.

Event posters and concept: Hoick

THE CLIENT

Decorex / FOOD XX / Studio H

THE BRIEF

Design a stand for Studio H at Decorex

THE RESULT

In a bid to celebrate women in food, we created an interactive jar swop initiative with donations that went to Ladles of Love, a feeding scheme in Cape Town. The food jar exchange contained donated preserved foods, personal stories and recipes. We wanted to show that a small gesture can make a big difference because donating one jar of food can help alleviate hunger in our immediate community.

The FOOD XX Jar Exxchange also paid homage to traditions of food preservation. For centuries, women have preserved food and their cultural heritage through the age-old tradition of canning, jamming and pickling.

The stand became an exchange hub where anyone – not just women – from all over the peninsula could come to swop a jar of their preserves with a card attached sharing the story and recipe of the food in the jar. Each donor received an empty jar, to keep paying the action forward.

We were overwhelmed by donations from brands such as Bergsoom Pure Foods, who donate 1 000 jars to the project.

THE TEAM

Photos: Paris Brummer

Styling: Juwan Beyers

THE CLIENT

Nando’s

THE BRIEF

Conceptualise a strategy that would celebrate the launch of two new Nando's Bag ‘n Bake flavours.

THE RESULT

The new flavours have inspired a selection of #PERiTricks recipes that puts a fresh spin on some of South Africa’s favourite foods and ingredients. And as part of the launch, customers got to discover these recipe tricks at a  popup in Braamfontein. Think super fun recipes made in a tumble dryer, air fryer or even with an iron.

As the lead creative agency on the product launch, Studio H was responsible for creating and managing the concept, developing the recipes and directing and producing the recipe video content for the project. The studio collaborated with some of the finest local talent to make this project come to life.

This project was shortlisted for the Loeries Awards 2023. See here.

THE TEAM

Concept and production: Studio H

Architect: Stretch Architects

Pattern design: Bonolo Chepape, Lulasclan

Video: Yellow Brick Media

Setbuilding: JMC

Culinary support team: Prue Leith Chefs

Location: 99 Juta

Graphic design: Spook Design Co., Sisanda Nxumalo

Interior photography: Marijke Willems