About Us
Some call it tradition, an addiction, a way of their culture but all considered for our team at Cape Town Culinary Tours, coming together for breakfast, lunch, dinner at home, at a pub or fancy restaurant is a way of life.
Cape Town Culinary Tours offers an immersive journey through South Africa’s culinary landscape. Combining cultural history, traditional South African flavours and 21st-century culinary experimentation, Cape Town offers a vibrant foodie scene unlike any other. There is no better way to explore the Mother City than with your tastebuds and our team is proudly dedicated to showing you this incredible city’s foodie gems.
We look forward to creating memories for you to cherish on this delicious journey called life.
Meet the Team
Elsje Bester
Co-Founder and Tour Director
Elsje has travelled the globe. She has visited over 40 countries and relished their history, culture and – most importantly – their foods. Despite her love of travel, Elsje always finds herself returning to her favourite city in the world: Cape Town.
Elsje has been running Cape Town Culinary Tours for just over 6 years. Her unwavering passion for exploring the Mother City and sharing some of her favourite local foods – Malva pudding, bunny chow, bobotie and, of course, great South African wine – with guests has lead to incredible growth in the company.
Elsje is happiest sitting around the dinner table with friends and family, sharing good food and stories. At Cape Town Culinary Tours we believe these are the memories that last a lifetime so pull up a chair and join the party!
Elsje has travelled the globe. She has visited over 40 countries and relished their history, culture and – most importantly – their foods. Despite her love of travel, Elsje always finds herself returning to her favourite city in the world: Cape Town.
Elsje has been running Cape Town Culinary Tours for just over 6 years. Her unwavering passion for exploring the Mother City and sharing some of her favourite local foods – Malva pudding, bunny chow, bobotie and, of course, great South African wine – with guests has lead to incredible growth in the company.
Elsje is happiest sitting around the dinner table with friends and family, sharing good food and stories. At Cape Town Culinary Tours we believe these are the memories that last a lifetime so pull up a chair and join the party!
Justin Gilmour
Head Tour Guide and avid Foodie.
Justin grew up exploring South Africa’s coastline where he learned to forage the land and sea for fungi, medicinal plants, seaweed and molluscs. Beyond fresh ingredients, Justin is a proponent of local and traditional cooking and brewing methods. He’ll happily share the wonders of a good potjie, braai and umgombothi with you.
His love for food and nature lead him to study ecology and ecotourism at university during which time he did some fantastic work in wildlife conservation. If you get a chance, we recommend asking him to share stories of his time working with cheetahs.
Justin – our resident polymath – has travelled extensively but his passion for South Africa and its unique place in the global culinary landscape keeps him close to home. Tours with Justin are always filled with great food, laughs and incredible stories.
Justin has been part of the CTCT team since 2019 and we are proud to have him “lead the way” on tour.
Jeremy Mitchell
Co-Founder & Managing Director
A global hospitality and tourism entrepreneur, Jeremy has been involved in the hospitality, tech & tourism industries for more than 20 years. Jeremy has a deep passion for connecting visitors to the bounty of their designation as you can’t truly understand the culture of any place until you have tasted its food and connected with the people that produce it.
Born and raised in Canada, Jeremy grew up in an entrepreneurial family full of chef’s & restauranteurs where he literally learned to walk inside a family owned restaurant. After university, Jeremy worked for some of the largest travel, entertainment and tourism brands across North America before finding his way to the beautiful mother city that he now calls his second home.
Jeremy has been on over 350 food tours across 40+ countries and travels regularly with a goal of leaving no culinary stone unturned.
A global hospitality and tourism entrepreneur, Jeremy has been involved in the hospitality, tech & tourism industries for more than 20 years. Jeremy has a deep passion for connecting visitors to the bounty of their designation as you can’t truly understand the culture of any place until you have tasted its food and connected with the people that produce it.
Born and raised in Canada, Jeremy grew up in an entrepreneurial family full of chef’s & restauranteurs where he literally learned to walk inside a family owned restaurant. After university, Jeremy worked for some of the largest travel, entertainment and tourism brands across North America before finding his way to the beautiful mother city that he now calls his second home.
Jeremy has been on over 350 food tours across 40+ countries and travels regularly with a goal of leaving no culinary stone unturned.
Our Tour Partners
Experience the best of Cape Town
We go out of our way to handpick every tasting on our food tours. Most of our tour stops are off the beaten path eateries and because of this we can guarantee a true local experience.
Proud Members Of:
