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Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen
Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen
Born	Mbombela, South Africa
Nationality	South African
Occupation(s)	Chef, restaurateur, entrepreneur
Known for	First South African to be awarded a Michelin star
Culinary career
Cooking style	French, South African, Fine Dining
Rating(s) Michelin stars
Current restaurant(s) JAN, Nice, France (2013–present) Klein JAN, Kalahari, South Africa (2021–present) JAN Franschoek, Franschoek, South Africa (2022–present) Le Bistrot de JAN, Nice, France (2024–present)

Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen (1982-) is one of the first South African chefs to receive a Michelin star ^[1], an accolade he achieved with his restaurant, Restaurant JAN, in Nice, France.

Jan Hendrik was born in 1982 in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, South Africa. In 1991, he opened his first restaurant on his family’s farm in the woods, which was a humble beginning—his first guests, his family, did not enjoy the meal and refused to pay. This early experience did not deter him; instead, it sparked his long-term pursuit of a career in the culinary arts. In 1996, he founded the "Green Peppers" food society at his high school, encouraging a small group of students to explore the culinary world. During his school holidays and weekends, he worked at a catering company in Johannesburg, gaining practical experience in a variety of food preparations.

Jan Hendrik completed his Diploma in Culinary Arts and Pastry at Stellenbosch University in 2001, before working at several hotels and restaurants in Cape Town. In 2004, he expanded his skills beyond cooking and founded the Jan Hendrik Group, a creative studio focused on photography and design. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Design and Photography in 2006, before taking up an internship at Elle magazine, where he began working on food styling and recipe development. In 2009, after a year living in Paris, Jan Hendrik moved to Monaco, where he worked as a private yacht chef. During this time, he wrote, photographed, and styled his first cookbook, The French Affair, which became a bestseller and won an award at the International Gourmand Book Awards.^[2]

In 2013, Jan Hendrik opened Restaurant JAN in Nice, France, located in a renovated garage in the Old Port neighbourhood. Despite the modest beginning, with just two front-of-house staff and two chefs, the restaurant quickly gained recognition. Within 36 hours of opening, it was hailed by the New York Times as a must-visit restaurant on the French Riviera. In 2015, Jan Hendrik released his second cookbook, JAN: A Breath of French Air, which reflected the culinary inspirations behind the dishes served at Restaurant JAN. The following year, in 2016, Restaurant JAN received its first Michelin star, a significant achievement that cemented Jan Hendrik’s status as a leading chef.

Jan Hendrik continued to expand his culinary and creative ventures in subsequent years. In 2017, he and his team began work on JAN the Journal Volume 1, a biannual publication that focuses on food and lifestyle. He also opened the JAN Innovation Studio in Cape Town in 2018, a creative space housing South Africa’s largest collection of cookbooks and the launch of JAN Online, the digital platform for the JAN brand. In 2021, Jan Hendrik opened Restaurant Klein JAN in the Kalahari, his first restaurant in South Africa. Later that year, Klein JAN received the La Liste Hidden Gem award in Paris ^[3]. In 2022, both Restaurant JAN and Klein JAN were included in the World’s 50 Best Discovery list, and JAN Franschhoek, a seasonal dining experience in South Africa’s Cape Winelands, opened.

Jan Hendrik’s achievements have been recognised internationally. In 2023, Restaurant JAN was named the second-best restaurant in Nice by Time Out, and Restaurant Klein JAN earned several prestigious awards, including a two-star rating from Eat Out, a three-plate rating from the JHP Gourmet Guide, and the Gourmet Guide Haute Performance Award. He was also named first in the African Food Network’s 100 Most Influential People in the African Food Industry 2023. In 2024, Jan Hendrik was invited to speak at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris as part of the 30th commemoration of South Africa’s democracy. Restaurant JAN retained its Michelin star for the ninth consecutive year, and Klein JAN received its second three-plate rating from the JHP Gourmet Guide.