Chef Peter Tempelhoff and his team have unveiled their latest venture, Arum, a contemporary restaurant that celebrates the natural rhythms of South Africa’s historic Boschendal farm and wine estate.
The establishment, which opened early December, promises to redefine farm-to-table dining through its innovative approach to fire, seasonality, and regenerative agriculture.
Rooted in nature
Named after the arum lily – a flower indigenous to the Cape – the restaurant draws its philosophy from the seasonal lifecycle of emergence, bloom, retreat and renewal that characterises both the flower and the farm itself.
“When I think of the valley, I think of lilies,” explains founding chef Tempelhoff. “They mirror the rhythm of Boschendal itself – a constant cycle of growth, rest, and return.”
The restaurant represents his commitment to honouring the land’s heritage while embracing modern culinary techniques. “Arum is our way of honouring the land – its history, its generosity, and its ability to renew itself,” he adds. “It’s a restaurant shaped by time, fire, and the rhythms of the farm we call home.”
Global expertise meets local terroir
Leading the kitchen is executive chef and partner Travis Finch, whose impressive credentials span some of the world’s most prestigious establishments. His career includes stints at The Greenhouse at The Cellars-Hohenort, London’s Chapter One and The Connaught, Melbourne’s Vue de Monde, and years as a private chef aboard luxury yachts.
Finch’s culinary philosophy combines global influences with deeply local sensibilities, emphasising precision, flame, clarity and restraint. His approach encompasses whole-animal butchery, fermentation, preservation techniques, and an intimate connection to the farm’s gardens and pastures.
ALSO READ: Chef royalty joins Boschendal estate’s new Arum restaurant
Menu moves with seasons
Arum’s offering reflects its farm-to-table ethos, with dishes that change according to seasonal availability and the natural rhythms of the estate. The menu features wood-fired breads served with farm-churned salted butter, vegetable-driven crudités sourced directly from the soil, and Duroc charcuterie from Boschendal’s own herd.
Starter courses include stracciatella with fire-roasted beetroot, Cape octopus paired with guanciale, smoked corn and brown butter, and rooibos-smoked duck accompanied by squash and mango atchar.
Main courses celebrate the estate’s livestock, featuring cuts of lamb and pork alongside seasonal vegetables, as well as South African Wagyu and grass-fed Angus, all cooked over open flames.
The dessert menu pays homage to the estate’s orchards and vineyards with offerings such as baked pineapple pelargonium mousse, cherries steeped in Shiraz, caramelised honey pain perdu, and a tribute to local cheesemaker Dalewood. The latter, aptly named “three degrees of cheese,” recreates a famous Greenhouse signature through varying temperatures.
Bespoke beverage programme
Group sommelier and service director Jennifer Hugé has developed an ambitious beverage programme in collaboration with Boschendal’s winemakers.
The collection features estate-grown, single-varietal wines created exclusively for Arum, including Semillon from the acclaimed La Colline vineyard, Alicante Bouschet, Marselan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre.
At the Arum Bar, Hugé transforms the farm’s fruit, herbs, and botanicals into ferments and tinctures, creating sophisticated reinterpretations of classic cocktails.
Heritage meets contemporary
The restaurant occupies the meticulously restored 1812 Werf building, reimagined by MR. Studio (Rotem Shachar and Megan Bond) and architect Jaques Mouton under the oversight of Tristan du Plessis of Studio A, with Adrian Kuyper of ANK Projects serving as project manager.
The interior design tells a story through the realms of mineral, vegetable, and animal, expressed via grow-tunnel structures, mohair textiles, sculptural fireplaces inspired by vegetables, a dramatic dry-ageing vitrine, and a monumental bar created by artist Driaan Claasen that resembles functional bone artwork.
Even the facilities reflect the farm’s connection to time and nature, featuring restrooms anchored by a Zambezi-stone sundial basin carved by Cannata, complete with a steel gnomon pointing true north.
- Arum at Boschendal Estate is now open for lunch and dinner service Wednesday through Sunday, marking the latest addition to one of South Africa’s most celebrated wine estates in the heart of the Franschhoek valley.
You must be logged in to post a comment.