Portrait of Ash Valenzuela-Heeger
i. Biography
Ash Valenzuela-Heeger is a South African chef and the chef-owner of Riverine Rabbit in Birmingham’s Stirchley district. Riverine Rabbit opened in early 2024 after originating as a Cape Town concept and Birmingham pop-up, and the restaurant later received a Michelin Bib Gourmand and Valenzuela-Heeger won the Michelin Guide Young Chef Award for 2025. Prior to Birmingham, she worked in Cape Town and London kitchens including The Test Kitchen, La Colombe, The Ledbury, and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, and the Riverine Rabbit concept was first created in Cape Town with her sister Mandy.
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Read about chefs like Ash Valenzuela-Heeger in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
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