THE BRIEF

Design and create the most spectacular edible sculptures for FOOD XX Week and our Oranjezicht City Farm takeover weekend.

THE RESULT

Breathtaking edible art that exceeded our expectations and wowed the crowds!

Florist: Cameron Munro, Mr Munro Flowers and Tina Cloete, Tina's Floristry

Photos: Christopher James Chandler

Since 2019, Studio H has been shaping the conversation on what’s next in food. For me, this work started long before Studio H. I spent years in the world of trend forecasting alongside Li Edelkoort and her team, representing Li in Africa back when I was Group Publisher at Visi magazine. That experience taught me how to read culture, decode shifts, and recognise the signals that become tomorrow’s behaviours. It’s still at the core of everything we do. We launched our newest Food Trend Report for the 2026/27 season in November 2025. A deep dive into the flavours, materials, rituals, and cultural movements shaping how we’ll eat next. Here are a few images from the launch and a small peek into the trends.The report is trusted by leading brands including Woolworths, Nando’s UK, Babylonstoren and Pepsico, who subscribe annually to track shifts early and stay ahead. The full report is available via our online store.

THE CLIENT

V&A Waterfront Makers Landing

THE BRIEF

Create a food-themed installation for Makers Landing

THE RESULT

We collaborated with Mikateko Media during the Makers Landing Seafood Fest to design an installation that would highlight the plight of South African fisherwomen.

With UWC PLAAS, Mikateko published a book, Beyond The Blue - Women of the Sea, that documents the lives and livelihoods of 17 women who give a snapshot into the world of fishing rights complexities, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and making a living from the sea.

We combined an installation of portraits from the book with an existing Studio H project, Visnetten, that just returned from The Netherlands. Visnetten was on show at @museumrijswijk in The Hague until the end of January 2022 as part of the show “Food For Thought”. Recipe cards attached to embroidered fishing nets tell the story of a broken food system and the invisible people, often women, in that system. Visitors are encouraged to remove the cards with seafood recipes to expose the embroidery.

THE TEAM

Mikateko Media and Koe’sister magazine: Ingrid Jones, Desiree Johnson, Roxanne Holman, Leane Feris

UWC PLAAS: Prof Moenieba Isaacs

Recipes: Koe’sister magazine

Fisher women: Solene Smith, Nadiema Jacobs, Katrina Ahrendse, Sarah Niemand, Betsie Lawrence, Charmaine Daniels, Rose Malan, Fatiema “Poppie” Kok, Michelle Singh, Carmelita Mostert, Rovina Europa, Porche Sebonka, Emily Newman, Mary Hull, Francis Oerson, Sharon Kruger, Taitum-Lee Manual

Embroidery by Keiskamma Art Project: Veronica Betani, Nombulelo Paliso, Bonelwa Paliso, Setyenzwa Mangwana, Esethu Makubalo, Nokuzola Mvaphants, Thabisa Gusha, Fikiswa Madlingozi, Sanela Maxengana

Graphic design: Casper Schutte, Spook Design

Installation concept and design: Studio H

Photos: Daniela Zondagh

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.

INGREDIENTS

Use the amount of salad that you need:

• Thinly sliced fennel (use a mandolin)
• Cucumber, cut into chunks
• Cherries, pitted and halved
• Generous amounts of herbs (mint, coriander, basil)
• Whole feta round

For vinaigrette:

• 125 ml olive oil
• 125 ml sunflower oil
• 60 ml red wine vinegar
• 20 ml lemon juice
• 15 ml Dijon mustard
• 60 ml cherry pureé (pitted cherries, finely blitzed)
• 5 ml salt

To finish:

• Olive oil
• Maldon salt

METHOD

• Layer the fennel and cucumber on a plate and top with the herbs. Place the whole feta round on top.
• Make the vinaigrette by blending all the ingredients until emulsified.
• Pour the cherry vinaigrette over the salad and feta and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Maldon salt.

Credits:

• Photo: Soulty Films (@these_slow_ stories on Instagram)
• Recipe: Juwan Beyers
• Prepared by: Strone Henry
• Client: CherryTime

THE CLIENT
August Collective for Nederburg

THE BRIEF
Design two events in Cape Town and Johannesburg that brings Nederburg’s brand platform – Yours to Explore – to life through an elevated culinary experience.

THE RESULT
A dinner celebrating a bold new chapter in the story of one of South Africa’s most well-travelled and admired wine brands – Nederburg sells in no less than 80 countries across the globe. In line with their new positioning, “It’s Yours to Explore”, we teamed up with Chef Strone Henry to design a menu to reflect this.

THE MENU
SOUTH AFRICA
Roosterkoek with Baronne jam, farm butter and Winelands cheese selection
Nederburg The Winemasters Sauvignon Blanc 2025

SOUTH KOREA
Bulgogi beef lettuce wrap with sushi rice, kimchi aioli and pickled daikon
Nederburg Baronne 2023

INDIA
Charred tandoori lamb rack with saffron fennel, potato pavé and smoked tomato chutney curry leaf jus
Nederburg Double Barrel Reserve 2023

BRAZIL
Deconstructed quindim – coconut panna cotta, passion fruit and turmeric meringue shards
Nederburg The Winemasters Noble Late Harvest 2024

PS: Did you know: A bottle of Nederburg Baronne is opened every 25 seconds in this country?

THE TEAM
Concept, experience design and culinary curation: Studio H
Chef: Strone Henry
Project manager: Stoff & Co (Stephanie McCarthy)
Styling: Phillip Obermeyer
Styling assistant: Jana Wasserman
Linen napkins production: Sumien Brink
Entertainment: NatzFX represented by A11
MC’s: Bathandwa Ngwendu and Maps Maponyane
Staffing: Hero Events

THE CLIENT

Dutoit

THE BRIEF

Collaborate with a group of artisans to create apple pie-inspired goods in celebration of Apple Pie Day and Mother's Day. These creations should be shareable on social media and included in hampers for a few lucky winners.

THE RESULT

A limited edition, edible apple pie perfume, inspired by the memories of our moms' apple pies, whipped up with love and nostalgia. We teamed up with Lorraine Loots, Miss Lucky Pony and Sweet LionHeart to bring you a range of apple pie creations, including a teeny-tiny apple pie masterpiece, a handcrafted ceramic fruit bowl, a yummy apple pie traylette and, of course, an edible apple pie fragrance straight out of our kitchen.

THE TEAM

Concept and production: Studio H

Photos: Nikki Symons

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

THE CLIENT
YPO

THE JOB
YPO and Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth Art Fair VIP Cocktail event

THE BRIEF
Design a cocktail event at 21 Nettleton for VIP clients attending the Art Fair

THE MENU
In an ongoing commitment and in alignment with the Zeitz Mocaa VIP Gala Collateral Programme’s manifesto, we celebrated women-owned and women-led businesses with this menu by using only ingredients and products from suppliers that fit these criteria.

• Interactive salad with herb dressing by Studio H
• Cheese tower and Studio H waterblommetjie pickles
• Savoury smoked cheese by The Real Cheese Project and mebos choux
• Mini Xigugu Royalty chicken sosaties
• Corn and Charm's Kitchen pickle and chakalaka bread squares
• Stokbrood with Weskusmandjie bokkom butter
• Lettuce cups with Ocean Jewel Fish yellow tail and spekboom salsa verde
• Mini Grey Bird Desserts lamingtons

Food prepared by Chef Mmabatho Molefe

Bar and setup by Angelique Smith

Concept and production by Studio H

Staffing by Hero Events

Piano by Leah Patterson-Jones

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Thank you

Amy Ellenbogen

Hamseh

Photos x @danielazondagh

THE CLIENT

Mamakashaka for Spotify Africa

THE BRIEF

Take the culinary lead for the Spotify Greasy Tunes Popup.

THE RESULT

Our studio was commissioned by Mamakashaka to be the culinary lead for the Spotify Greasy Tunes Popup that runs in Braam for the month of July. We designed the menu, set up the kitchen and are in charge of the daily food service in collaboration with Chef Luyanda Sogiba from Lish Foods. We assisted BCKRDS, who designed the CI for the project, to style the food for their campaign shoot.

THE TEAM

Menu design: Studio H

Food designer: Juwan Beyers, Studio H

Culinary execution: Jenny Ward, Luyanda Sogiba

CI design: BCKRDS

Creative Director: Wade Moonsamy

Lead agency: Mamakashaka

Project manager: Siba Mosana

Food prep for shoot: Food I Love You, Studio H

Photographer: André Badenhorst

Studio H Project managers: JC Landman, Angelique Smith

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

100+ Flavours is a report of South Africa’s iconic ingredients, recipes, cooking methods and culinary tools. It showcases the overlapping influences – ancient and modern, urban and rural – that have created regional and cultural variations on shared themes – vetkoek meets magwinya, tšhotlo fuses with fynvleis, and bunny chows become kota and spathlos. The report highlights – in a comprehensive yet easy-to-understand way – the major impact that the ravages of colonialism, apartheid, poverty and dispossession have had on who consumes what, where and how often in South Africa. It also draws attention to the insightful social, economic, political, and psychological local stories that are infused into every spoon of soured sorghum ting and each bite of biltong. There is a tale to be told through every mouthful of mebos and each crunch of madzhulu termites. And there are ancestral acknowledgements in every sip of amasi, boegoebrandewyn and umqombothi.

THE TEAM

Concept: Studio H

Copy and research: Dr Anna Trapido

Copy editing, publishing: Hannerie Visser, JC Landman

Styling: Juwan Beyers

Photography: Ashleigh Frans, Daniela Zondagh

Graphic Design: Hoick

THE CLIENT

Caesarstone

THE BRIEF

Design a dinner and awards ceremony for the annual Caesarstone Student Designer Competition that ties into the theme ‘From the Ashes We Rise’, a re-imagining and rebuilding of the home of the South African democracy, the National Assembly, that was destroyed in a fire.

THE RESULT

We conceptualised an interactive dinner experience and awards ceremony that truly encapsulated the theme. This inspired live charcoal illustration, a fynbos-infused and fire-cooked meal and an interactive flower installation.

THE TEAM

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

Flower installation: Mr Munro

Interactive food installation collaborators: Wild Yeast, The Bread Bar , Charm’s Kitchen, Pienaar and Son, Ukhamba Beerworx

Pre-dessert performance collaborator: Mondvol Soet

Main course and dessert: Eike by Bertus Basson

Live illustration: Spook Design Co, Little Latsky

Photography: Daniela Zondagh

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 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

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

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large Kissabel apples, cored and very thinly sliced
• 60 ml cup white sugar
• ⁠1t ground cinnamon
• 1 roll frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 60 ml melted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 t confectioners' sugar (for garnishing)

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 160°C.
• Place apple slices in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until slices are slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Cover the plate with plastic wrap.
• Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Roll puff pastry sheet slightly. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut 6 rectangles. Reserve remaining pieces for another use.
• Spread melted butter over dough, and sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar. Place apple slices along one long edge of dough, overlapping slices slightly. Fold the bottom half of dough over apple slices to form a long "folder" of dough with rounded edges of apple slices exposed. Roll from end to end to form a rose.
• Beat egg in small bowl. Brush surface of dough with egg wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven until well browned, about 20-25minutes until the bottom of the rose is fully cooked. Remove apple roses from oven and finish cooling on a wire rack.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Recipe by Mmabatho Molefe.

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

Nando's Grocery

THE BRIEF

Create a series of videos and stills with influencers to be used as content for the brand website and brand online channels.

THE RESULT

A series of conversation-style recipe videos, each video featuring a content creator and a chef cooking a hearty, everyday meal together, inspired by local ingredients and flavours. Content creators include: William KRM, Young Ceezy, Siv Ngesi, Paballo Koza, Nabo Binase and Star Shongwe. Recipe development, video and stills production by Studio H.

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Recipes included:

Sorghum pancake and greens with crispy egg

Asifanani monkey gland chops

Pull-apart roosterkoek

Nando's bunny chow

Pulled PERi goat and morogo flatbreads

THE TEAM

Producers: Hannerie Visser, JC Landman

Recipe developement: Hannerie Visser, Juwan Beyers, Strone Henry, Keletso Motau

Recipe styling: Keletso Motau

Food assistant: Ivan Masiyazi

Videography: Yellow Brick Media, Earl Abrahams

Video production and direction: Studio H

Stills: Daniela Zondagh, Earl Abrahams

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