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Behind The Plate with Chef Pieter Malan

In the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of a professional kitchen, consistency matters. But how do you maintain the same high standards across every service without losing the spark of creativity and individuality?

We went Behind the Plate with Chef Pieter Malan of Mount Grace Hotel and Spa to discover how he brings together South African culinary heritage, local ingredients and creativity in a busy professional kitchen.

See how the consistency and versatility of Hellmann’s mayonnaise give Chef Pieter a reliable base to push creative boundaries, demonstrating what chefs should look for in mayonnaise for professional kitchens and mayonnaise for restaurants.

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Unilever Food Solutions I Behind The Plate with Chef Pieter Malan

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Chef Pieter Malan and a fellow chef preparing food with Hellmann’s mayonnaise in a professional kitchen.

For Chef Pieter, food has always been rooted in South Africa and his own proud patriotism.

Inspired by his two grandmothers and their different approaches to cooking and preserving traditions, he developed a deep appreciation for local food and the memories that surround it.

Today, that influence remains at the core of his cooking philosophy at Mount Grace Hotel and Spa. His team embraces a farm-to-fork approach, and he is always looking for opportunities to celebrate local ingredients, from wild garlic to wild prickly pear and even spekboom.

But across multiple kitchens, creativity needs to be supported by consistency.

"We’ve got four different eateries here at Mount Grace, we’ve got big banqueting and function venues, and we need to have a consistent product."

That’s where Hellmann’s comes in.

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1. CONSISTENT QUALITY IN A PRODUCT THAT WORKS HARDER

In a large operation with different chefs working across multiple kitchens, maintaining consistency is essential. For Chef Pieter, Hellmann’s provides a dependable foundation.

"Every time you open it, it’s the same batch that is famously Hellmann’s, and you can just add whatever you have to add to it to get to the product that you want to deliver to the guest."

This allows his team to build their own recipes around a reliable base while maintaining the expected standard of flavour and quality.

Chef Pieter Malan working alongside a fellow chef in the Mount Grace Hotel and Spa kitchen.
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Chef Pieter Malan preparing a dish in a professional kitchen.

2. VERSATILITY ACROSS THE MENU

Hellmann’s isn’t limited to one kitchen, dish or application. From restaurant sauces, burger sauces, sandwich sauces and salad dressings to more, it gives chefs the versatility to explore different possibilities across the menu.

That versatility comes to life in two of Chef Pieter’s creations: a baked Hellmann’s cheesecake and his signature oxtail bitterballen. For the bitterballen, Hellmann’s Original replaces the traditionalbéchamel base, binding slow-cooked oxtail to transform a familiar European dish into something distinctly South African.

For dessert, Hellmann’s Original brings richness and a subtle savoury element to his baked cheesecake, demonstrating just how far a versatile kitchen staple can really go.

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3. GREAT TASTE

But of course, flavour remains at the centre of everything.

Chef Pieter describes Hellmann’s Original as having a “beautiful, rich, eggy flavour”, while Hellmann’s Tangy offers a flavour profile suited to South African taste.

Knowing how to use the different varieties gives his team the flexibility to complement different professional kitchen ingredients.

Chef Pieter Malan and a fellow chef preparing a dish together in the kitchen.
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Chef Pieter Malan working with his kitchen team at Mount Grace Hotel and Spa.

CREATING FLAVOURS GUESTS REMEMBER

For Chef Pieter, great food is about creating a connection through familiar, nostalgic flavours.

"I think the biggest compliment I can get is if someone tastes something and they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s like how my mom used to make it,’ or ‘how my gran used to make it.’"

Hellmann’s gives him a consistent base to reinterpret these familiar South African flavours with his own ingredients, ideas and culinary heritage.

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A PERMANENT PLACE IN THE KITCHEN

When asked what he would tell another chef about why he uses Hellmann’s, his answer is clear:

"It’s reliable, it’s consistent, and it is such a versatile product that you can make so many different dishes with. So, all my kitchens always have Hellmann’s."

Bring reliability, consistency and versatility to your kitchen with Hellmann’s.

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