Gordon Wright has had a passion for food since early childhood. He accredits his love for food to his nanny Elizabeth Notwala, who helped raise him as a boy and had a major influence on helping him develop his adventurous pallet. Today Gordon Wright runs the highly acclaimed ‘Gordons Restaurant’ in Andries Stockenström Guest house, a very well known guest house situated in the heart of the Karoo.

Gordon Wright had this to say about his career: “Let’s be very clear on one point: I am not a qualified chef, nor do I have any formal training as one. I am just a good ol’ country boy at heart with a deep-seated passion for the Karoo, its people and its food.”

The establishing and running of Gordons Restaurant was the inspiration for Gordon Wright’s cookbook Veld to Fork. 

Gordon Wright is part of the Slow Food movement, which bases its belief on healthy living, knowing exactly where one’s food comes from and taking the fast paced, unhealthy lifestyle today of fast food, always on the go and slowing it down to reignite a passion for food.

The recipes in Veld to Fork do take time and patience and a certain amount of love to prepare, however when one sits down to enjoy said prepared meal, the love and patience is clear and well worth it.  Many of the recipes in Veld to Fork are truly South African dishes that most households are aware of and enjoy often, such as stews, oxtail, burgers and pap to name just a few. Gordon Wright has taken these classic dishes which South Africans love and expanded on and refined them in a manner which simplifies and delights each recipe. A classic stew has been boosted to a gourmet stew with the addition of a few fresh and simple ingredients.

Not only is Gordon Wright an excellent chef, he is also a fantastic story teller, with a fantastic sense of humour and adventure, each and every recipe in Veld to Fork has a story. Each recipe has been hand selected by Gordon Wright himself, which makes each recipe more special once one knows where it has come from, which fits in with Gordon Wright’s entire philosophy of knowing the history of what you are eating and the journey it has travelled to get to your plate.

Packed with over 100 recipes such as Minty mutton summer stew, Venison burger patties, Slow roasted basil chicken and many more, Veld to Fork is a hearty recipe book that is able to assist anyone in the kitchen. Veld to Fork is not about big words or complex ingredients but rather to encourage you to try and enjoy the art of cooking through whole, pure and simple food.

Beautiful photography, delicious recipes and enthralling stories makes Veld to Fork a must-have recipe book for any cook, chef or food enthusiast. Wickedfood Cooking School gives it a 10/10.