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Matt van den Berg
Mertia
Matt van den Berg is a South African chef known for bold flavours and a thoughtful approach to local ingredients. Introduced to fine dining by his sister, he initially studied BCom before pursuing hospitality. He trained at acclaimed restaurants including Waterkloof, Greenhouse, The Test Kitchen, and La Colombe under Luke Dale-Roberts and James Gaag. In 2020, Matt co-founded How Bao Now. He is currently Head Chef of Mertia in the Cape Winelands, which won 3 stars at the 2026 Eat Out Awards and was named Restaurant of the Year at the LUXE Restaurant Awards. He has also received One Knife from The Best Chef Awards.
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