They do it in the kitchen . . . a hot, steamy affair !

What do you get when two passionate chefs meet, mingle and marry . . . ? A culinary explosion bound to Make WAVES . . . and that’s exactly what Heinrich and Fransa Mouton is doing along Langebaan’s White Sands and sunny shores . . .

The owners of the new White Sands Restaurant and the West Coast Chef School form a formidable foodie force and complement each other’s unique expertise and versatility in the culinary world.

When the couple met almost 12 years ago at a restaurant in Brackenfell where qualified electrical engineer Heinrich was working at the time, it was almost love at first BITE . . .

Fransa was an accomplished chef and lecturer at Northlink College’s acclaimed Chef School in Welgelegen and Heinrich had traded electrical short-circuits for gastronomical explosions with an Indian twist.

“I was a guest at the function . . . and both being chefs, we started talking and soon discovered we shared the same interests and fascination with funky food creations,” Fransa said. A year later their shared passion for food had triggered other passions and they got married on 25 November 2006.

While Fransa always knew she wanted a career in the food and hospitality trade, Heinrich discovered his foodie talents by accident whilst working at various restaurants to pay for his studies in electrical engineering at the Cape Technikon.

“I started working part-time at McDonalds in Brackenfell and gradually worked myself up into managing positions at various eateries. It was while I was working as manager with Indian chefs at the Grand West Casino that I finally realized that I truly want to be a chef,” he said.

A City & Guilds diploma as well as a course in Financial Management followed while he was gaining experience in various foreign and local cuisine at a variety of restaurants and fine dining eateries.

“I used to love rich Indian curries and Asian cuisine, but nowadays I combine North Indian and Asian cuisine with local traditional dishes such as oxtail stew and kebab with an Asian flavour.”

Whilst Heinrich’s true skills and passion lies in exquisite traditional cuisine with an Oriental twist, Fransa specializes in pastry and puddings with a funky look and taste. She trains her students to think outside the box and to experiment with different tastes, textures and topics . . . a winning recipe that produces exciting delicatessen such as deconstructed lemon meringue, Tic Tac Toe truffles and other foodie fun cuisine.

The Cape’s loss was Langebaan’s gain when the Moutons decided in January 2014 to take over the popular West Coast Chef School from previous owner Gerhard Janse Van Rensburg who originally started it in his house in Myburgh Park. It was so popular that it quickly expanded into a City and Guilds International approved and accredited centre, but maintained its intimacy and personal touch.

The school moved last month from Laguna Mall to Agora Square in the Club Mykonos Marina (directly behind Bazouki Restaurant.)

Here the Moutons now train local students to become world class chefs in basic cooking and other skills to enable them to work in the finest restaurants across the globe.

The school offers a variety of accredited as well as non accredited short courses. Pupils can still register for the following courses for 2017:

Diploma in Culinary Arts – The course already started but students can still enroll until the end of March – catch-up classes will be finalized during the April holidays.

Diploma in Patisserie – The course already started but students can still enroll until the end of March – catch-up classes will be finalized during the April holidays.

Certificate in Food preparation and cooking – starting on Monday 24 April until 24 November 2017 – only Monday and Friday afternoons

Their love of food, the success of the Chef School and the demand for great cuisine spontaneously and inadvertently lead to the Mouton’s acquiring their own restaurant near the Chef School.

Since the White Sands Restaurant opened its doors a few months ago on the popular Hobie Beach within the Club Mykonos Property, locals and visitors were treated to a totally new standard and experience of cuisine and entertainment. With their combined experience and skills as chefs and Heinrich’s 17 odd years hospitality industry experience, White Sands has fast become known for outstanding food and as a famous function venue.

Along with their creative students, they take you on a unique culinary journey in a beautiful location.

Where else will you find Malva pudding springrolls with koeksister ice-cream and homemade Sweetie Pies? Their filled lamb steak, prawns prepared in Tarragon butter and burger combinations are also highly recommendable.