Matthew Gordon
Chef Patron
Multiple award-winning chef Matthew Gordon began his chef’s training at the Johannesburg Hotel School and went on to do further stints in London, Vancouver and Tokyo. His food is classically inspired but modern in concept. He has been guest chef at The Rice hotel in Houston and had the honour of being the first South African chef to be invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York.
During his 34 years in the industry he has headed up restaurant kitchens at the Sandton Sun, Mount Nelson and Bay Hotels in Cape Town as well as owning five of his own restaurants. Matthew was only 24 when he opened his first restaurant ‘Le Ballon Rouge’ in Franschhoek.
In 1995, the Gordon family opened Haute Cabriere Cellar Restaurant high up on the Franschhoek Pass, which they owned and operated for 16 years. The restaurant received top 10 status and many other awards during his tenure. Matthew has trained a generation of young chefs, some of whom now head up their own top 10 restaurants in the country.
He spends time away from work with his wife Nicky and daughters Emma and Kate or piloting helicopters, aeroplanes and drones. He is also an avid mountain biker and plays drums for local Franschhoek band, ‘Uncorked’.