Award-winning South African chef joins SAVOR, Valor Hospitality Partners’ elevated food-and-beverage offering, as Head of Culinary in Africa and the Middle East

George Jardine, a name familiar to many with their finger on the pulse of the South African fine-dining scene, is bringing his considerable expertise and experience to Savor, an elevated food-and-beverage arm from leading global hospitality group, Valor. Savor will conceptualise, design and deliver turnkey food-and-beverage solutions within hotels and standalone restaurants, creating curated and immersive experiences for international travellers and locals alike.

George, an industry veteran who has received several awards over his 20 years of owning and operating restaurants in South Africa, believes this new challenge takes him back full circle to his origins in the hotel industry, and is looking forward to working across the African and Middle East regions. “It’s something different for me; a new adventure and a new stage of my life. I’m looking forward to not being confined to one kitchen and property.”

Savor will leverage Valor’s global footprint and use it as a resource tool with current operations residing in the Americas, UK and Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia. As George explains: “The culinary team – consisting of three chefs along with three food-and-beverage experts (myself in Cape Town, Matthew Gray and Chris Martha in the Americas, Roy Brett and Ed Cross in the UK and Europe, and Andrea Frignani in the Middle East) – all have different skills and areas of expertise that we bring to the table. The aim is to bring our combined knowledge not only to new Savor concepts, but to Valor as a whole. Through our focus on sustainability and provenance, we will develop more refined food-and-beverage experiences.”

George has always focused on local flavour and provenance in his restaurants and describes it as a “big deal” for him. “It’s too often the case that you go to hotels and the menus are all the same. At each Valor property, the chefs (along with our teams) are strategic when it comes to menu development. I believe part of my role is to encourage them and promote the area in which they’re located and to use local produce as much as possible. It’s exciting for tourists, and the locals also enjoy it.”

George is eager to see African ingredients taking pride of place on more menus. “I believe we should be celebrating African ingredients. I want to see chefs and food-and-beverage directors communicating their identities through their menus. We’re seeing African cuisine being celebrated as far afield as London, and the same should be happening in our own backyard.”

George has travelled extensively on the African continent and in the Middle East since joining Valor, consulting with chefs and food-and-beverage teams on ways in which they can revitalise their menus. “It’s about making small changes; it’s going to take some time to get some traction. I believe I can bring a fresh take to their offerings through the knowledge and expertise that I have gained through my career. It’s about giving each team its own identity so that it’s not all the same.”

It is this authenticity that George intends to nurture in Savor kitchens, offering an accurate snapshot of the countries and cultures in which they operate, exciting the palates of both international visitors and local residents.