[category]
[title]
What if your grandmother’s kitchen was the best cookbook you never wrote down?
That’s the idea behind MATRIARCHS – Preserving the Flavours of our Heritage, an ongoing series at award-winning The LivingRoom at Summerhill, where the women behind generations of South African home cooking are invited into the restaurant kitchen to share the recipes, techniques and stories passed down through their families.
This Women’s Month, the spotlight turns to Zulu culinary heritage, with 64-year-old grandmother Thandi Mchunu taking centre stage on Sunday, 23 August.
READ: From Disney to Durban: Chef Nokx Majozi brings her new cookbook home
Meet the matriarch behind this month’s menu
Mchunu, grandmother of Summerhill Guest Estate manager Uluthando Mandlana, lives in Molweni with her family, but was raised by her grandparents in Hillcrest. It was in her grandmother’s kitchen that she learnt to cook, picking up recipes and techniques passed down through generations.
For this edition of MATRIARCHS, Mchunu will work alongside The LivingRoom head chef Johannes Richter and his kitchen team, sharing her knowledge of Zulu food and the cooking traditions she learnt growing up.
Her recipes will then form the inspiration for a five-course Sunday lunch celebrating the food and culture of KwaZulu-Natal.
READ: Durban chef scoops 2nd consecutive Eat Out Top Chef win
This isn’t the first MATRIARCHS feast
The series launched in March with 94-year-old Durban Indian matriarch Dolly Govender, who worked alongside Richter and his team to share generations of knowledge about traditional spice preparation, Durban-style curries and heritage desserts.
Now, Mchunu’s story brings another of KwaZulu-Natal’s rich food traditions into the spotlight, continuing the series’ exploration of the women and family kitchens behind the province’s food culture.
Mothers, grandmothers and aunties are brought into The LivingRoom kitchen for a collaborative cooking experience, with their stories and recipes documented through photography and film to create a living archive of South African food culture.
It’s also an opportunity for the restaurant’s younger chefs to learn directly from women who have spent decades cooking and preserving these traditions at home.
READ: The 15 best restaurants in Durban
What you need to know
The August edition is a five-course dining experience, with Mchunu’s recipes as the inspiration. The meal will be accompanied by a curated beverage pairing from The LivingRoom’s front-of-house manager and sommelier Johanna Richter, featuring South African wines, cocktails, and non-alcoholic options selected to complement the flavours of the menu.
- Date: Sunday, 23 August 2026
- Venue: The LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate
- Address: 9 Belvedale Road, Cowies Hill, Durban
- Time: Sunday lunch; check with the restaurant when booking for the seating time
- Menu: Five-course heritage-inspired lunch
- Price: R650 per person
- Wine pairing: R1,050 per person including the optional wine pairing
- Bookings: Book via Dineplan or visit summerhillkzn.com
- Contact: 063 529 1966 (call or WhatsApp) or info@summerhillkzn.com
With Heritage Month around the corner, this is a chance to spend a Sunday exploring the flavours and stories that have travelled from family kitchens into one of Durban’s restaurant kitchens.
Follow Time Out Durban on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok! To get the coolest news, features, and things to do straight to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
TIME OUT DURBAN RECOMMENDS:
📍 The best things to do in Durban
🍽 The best restaurants in Durban
🏨 The best hotels in Durban
🛏️ Where to stay in Durban
📢 Latest news from Durban