Filmed by leading local TV Production Company, Okuhle Media, the duo of Grant Flynn (producer) and SAFTA award-winning director, Chris Lotz, teamed up once again to raise the bar on production and entertainment values for the new series. Viewers can anticipate more celebrities, more luxury, and even more extravagance in the follow up from Anthony’s debut series, which aired on SABC3 in March 2015, followed by a second local broadcast on DStv’s Food Network from Thursday, 7 April.
Anthony’s 13-part second season will see the high-flying celebrity chef traveling to new destinations and cooking in some extraordinary kitchens as he prepares unforgettable meals for new friends, old acquaintances and celebrity clients that include talented actress Bonnie Henna; popular local couple Vanessa Haywood and ultra-marathon trail running champion Ryan Sands; former Springbok Captain and MAD Leadership Foundation founding chairperson Francois Pienaar; media powerhouse, Carol Bouwer; SABC3 TV host, model, dancer and accomplished actress Carishma Basday; local singer-songwriter, Arno Carstens and his wife Mel; radio DJ, actress and television presenter, Jeannie D; and fashionista, Kumari Govender amongst others.
Filmed on location between Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Limpopo - which includes the mountainous Waterberg district - the crew of 13 spent a month on the road as they set out to capture new destinations and sourcing sequences, including a mushroom foraging expedition in Constantia Valley and a variety of cooking experiences that had Anthony cooking breakfast on a campfire in the Overberg at dawn.
Anthony uses only the best in local, seasonal, and sustainable produce as he believes this allows the ingredients to shine. Says Anthony, “I’ve been more experimental in my new series, exploring complex flavour combinations that see me pairing ingredients that are designed to make the palette ‘think’.”
Based on Okuhle Media’s global distribution partnership with Zodiak Rights, the successful non-scripted TV franchise has been seen by hundreds of thousands of audiences around the globe via Scripps Networks’ Food Network channel that includes Europe, Middle East and Africa; and a variety of territories for LITV Asia including Brunei Darussalam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
Executive producer, Louise McClelland, is thrilled with the local and international license deals that have seen Anthony become a household name across continents, which, she believes, “has proven that local content has global relevance and appeal”.
Neill Anthony - The Private Chef airs from Tuesday, 11 October on SABC3 at 20:00. It repeats on Saturdays from 15 October at Noon.
For more information, visit www.neillanthony.com. Alternatively, connect with him on Facebook or on Twitter.