Nestled along the shimmering canals of Thesen Island in the heart of the Garden Route, the five-star Turbine Hotel & Spa has transformed a former wood-fired power station into one of South Africa’s most memorable culinary destinations. With two newly reinvigorated restaurants — the refined Island Café and the lively Gastro Pub — Executive Chef Greg Coleman brings a playful yet polished vision to gourmet dining: think industrial heritage meets bespoke plating, and the kind of flexible kitchen that welcomes deviation as a creative advantage.
In our sit-down, Greg walks us through a kitchen journey that began with pancake evenings, through military conscription, to the helm of two destination restaurants overlooking one of Knysna’s most scenic waterways — and his story is as rich as the menus now being served.
Contributor Zimkhitha took the time to chat with Chef Coleman, an inspired young, up-and-coming chef on the rise with not one but two outstanding restaurants, Island Cafe and the Gastro Pub, both overlooking the stunning Thesen Island in Knysna, South Africa. Both restaurants just received a makeover, featuring a brand new menu developed by Chef Coleman and his team.
When even the slightest change in the menu can easily offend chefs in many kitchens, Chef Greg Coleman welcomes the deviations and at times even encourages it in his kitchen.
Spend a few minutes while we chat to him about how his love for pancakes led to a decades-long career in the kitchen.
MTF Mag: There was a time you were not a chef. What led you to the kitchen?
I grew up in Pietermaritzburg and started my culinary career with the Southern Sun. Then, I had to do my two year SADF conscription and I knew that I didn’t want to carry a gun.
I asked to be a chef for my service. By the end of the two years that I was there, I was running my own kitchen. I really found my niche there and I fell in love with the work, so at the end of my service I applied for Southern Sun’s in-service training.
At the time there were about 2000 applicants and they took about 100 applicants. Out of the 100 applicants only 15 of us completed the two years training. And three years later, there were only three of us left still cooking.
MTF Mag: I am not surprised. I know it is quite a tough industry to be in. What keeps you inspired to keep going as a chef?
I think it’s the team, the fellowship, the chats. It’s the comradery that keeps me going.
It’s really tough. When you find people of the same yoke it gives you a purpose. Before the army, we would have pancake evenings. It was the chats around the table that I looked forward to the most. You become a team and once you have a good team it’s really easy to stay.
Everybody evolves and changes. I have worked with students that studied to be doctors and gave it all up to start from scratch as a sous chef. Pastry has always been my thing so I knew that after my training I wanted to specialise.
Just the presentation and the cleanliness of the pastry – it’s almost like it is an art. Just plating the food is art and presentation is very important to me. So finding your niche also helps.
MTF Mag: Talking about art. You are now at Turbine Hotel which is also known for supporting local artists, like Lynne Schaefer, Gretchen Wheeler and Jacques Marais. How do you merge traditional art with what you put on the guest’s plate?
You see the art on the walls and you just have to make sure that what you put on the plate is just as beautiful.
The artistic appreciation of Turbine Hotel was just up my alley, and I loved the synergy. I have always loved wine and did a course and started to perform wine pairing back in 1998. To come to Turbine and find people who love (food), wine and art, my eyes were opened again to wine evenings and creating a menu that is all about wine pairings.
MTF Mag: Let’s talk about your menu at Turbine Hotel. Your breakfast menu for example is quite comprehensive with flat breads and many other freshly made treats, what’s the inspiration behind your menu?
Just the other day we had a table of 23 guests and only 6 people ordered the dishes from the menu and the rest went off the menu. As a chef you have to be ready and always deliver on what the guests want.
We are a gourmet food destination so we cater to our clients’ needs;the menu is inspired by the people who come to eat at the hotel.
We are very flexible and love being creative. It’s exciting and it’s fun. I learnt a long time ago that cooking is all about meeting the guest’s needs.
And, our breakfast menu has aloo paratha – stuffed potato flat bread from Asia. It’s not overly authentic but we make our own spice blend from scratch. We try our best to make everything ourselves because that’s where the flavour is.
MTF Mag: You sound like you are very big on experiences. If you were to host a dinner, who would you invite, and what would be on the menu?
My daughter. She is passionate about food.I do not know if she is biased but she loves everything that I cook.
When she was younger she was a picky eater but now she enjoys spicy food.
Crêpes Suzette would definitely be on the menu for dessert.
Seared fish would be on the menu – the fresher, the better and if I know where it’s from, even better!
MTF Mag: If you were not a chef what would you be doing?
Definitely bee-keeping.
With bee-keeping you are always outside and you are forced to pay attention to the weather and have endless conversations about what’s happening at home. I think from what is happening at home we can be inspired to be creative. I believe it’s from those conversations that real magic happens.