Alumnus: Isla Rechner

Originally from Kloof in KwaZulu Natal, Isla Rechner qualified as a journalist, before embarking on her tertiary qualifications in hospitality at Capsicum Culinary Studio’s Durban campus from where she gained a patisserie diploma and was awarded graduate of the year in 2010. She honed her skills further when she started running a pastry stall at the Shongweni Farmers Market as well as opening a private catering business. In 2014 with the itch to travel too strong to resist, Isla made the big move to London, working first at one of acclaimed chef Yotam Ottolenghi's eateries, before being hired as a pastry chef at the King's Cross branch of Granger & Co. It was not long before she was promoted to Group Pastry Chef for all four branches of Granger & Co, a role which she says she “utterly relished”.The start of the Covid pandemic and a bad case of homesickness saw Rechner return to South Africa at the end of 2020. She is now engaged, the mother of twins and residing in Sea Point, Cape Town. But her passion for baking and cooking still runs deep and she continues to practice and refine her culinary talent much to the good fortune of the Mother City residents who can now utilise her services and taste her cooking and baking. She continues to do her private cheffing and has a few other enterprises in the works including freezer meals and desserts. She is also kept busy creating content for her Instagram page @islacookscapetown and is planning a recipe book with meals that have been inspired by her travels and local experiences.