There’s a new culinary innovator in town, and the mission is clear: to make cooking hassle-free, especially when you and your loved ones are craving nostalgic traditional meals. The Unorthodox Chef Catering has carved a niche in the culinary world since its inception three years ago, specializing in Mzansi’s finest traditional cuisine.
Rooted in cherished family recipes and expressing love and warmth through food, The Unorthodox Chef’s frozen meals are now available in 84 Pick ‘n Pay stores across Gauteng. “Identifying a gap in the market, I’ve curated and modernized recipes from yesteryears while preserving their authentic African flavors. This innovative approach caught the attention of major retailers,” says owner Le Chef Phill.
Weekly Special Menu
To cater to diverse tastes and preferences, The Unorthodox Chef has introduced a themed weekly menu:
- Mogodu Mondays
- Tlhakwana Tuesdays
- Maotwana Wednesdays
- Oxtail Sundays
These 12-minute ready-made hearty meals bring the taste of home to your table with ease and convenience.
A Diverse Range of Traditional Delights
The frozen meals range includes a variety of traditional favorites:
- Cow Head
- Hard Body Chicken
- Chicken Feet
- Oxtail
- Ox Trotters/Liver
- Mala and Mogodu
- Three Bean Stew
- Beef Stew
These meals are now officially available in all Pick ‘n Pay stores across the Gauteng province. You can catch the chef on the go at one of the following Pick ‘n Pay stores on the 3rd and 4th of August: Boulevard, Wonderboom Junction, Sinoville, Hyper Faerie Glen, The Grove, Hyper Montana, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, Hatfield, Wonderpark, Hazeldean Square, Quagga, Phillip Nel, Hyper Centurion, Qualisave Midrand, Jubilee Mall, and Diepsloot.
A Journey of Passion and Perseverance
“I started this journey in the midst of the pandemic in 2021 from a humble garage,” Le Chef Phill reminisces. “After six months, I upgraded to a small restaurant in the Boulders area of Midrand. The shift from working at a quarantine site for 11 months to pursuing this business was a risk and a bold move that bore its own challenges.”
Despite the challenges, the dream did not die down but was instead reconfigured for success. “After some time, I decided to close the restaurant and started preparing for the transition into a production kitchen. This new setup was designed for producing cooked and frozen traditional meals—a unique concept, providing the convenience of home-cooked traditional meals to those who might not have the time to prepare them,” he concludes.
Looking Ahead
Although The Unorthodox Chef has only recently made it to Pick ‘n Pay shelves, the next stride to hitting Checkers’ shelves is already in motion. The future looks promising for The Unorthodox Chef as it continues to bring convenience and authentic flavors to more homes.
Follow The Unorthodox Chef for the convenience you never thought you needed to satisfy your cravings.
For more information and updates, visit The Unorthodox Chef on Instagram and Facebook.
Experience the convenience of traditional cuisine redefined with The Unorthodox Chef’s ready-made meals. Bon appétit!