i. Biography
In Stellenbosch, South Africa, the material at the center of Matt van den Berg’s work is fresh and local, handled with a fine-dining sense of measure rather than noise. At Mertia, where he serves as Head Chef, bold flavour is the route into place: ingredients close to hand, treated thoughtfully, shaped into refined dining.
The Estate
Stellenbosch gives the work its geographic frame. Mertia (Stellenbosch, South Africa) is the point of his current cooking, and the role is precise: Head Chef. The title places him at the kitchen’s center, where a plate has to carry both intent and restraint. His approach is built around bold flavours and a thoughtful approach to local ingredients. That combination keeps the work grounded: flavour with force, ingredients with context, dining that reads as polished without losing its connection to what is fresh and local. The region is not used as decoration; it is the material condition of the cooking.
In the Cellar
Before the Stellenbosch role, van den Berg studied at Silwood. That training forms part of the foundation beneath his fine-dining work, giving structure to a style that depends on control as much as intensity. In 2020, he co-founded How Bao Now. The move adds an entrepreneurial line to the biography, separate from but connected to the discipline of cooking: building something, naming it, and taking responsibility for its direction. He also carries the linked titles of Head Chef and Business Owner at Mertia Group. Read together, the roles show a chef working across craft and ownership, with decisions that reach beyond a single service and into the way a hospitality group is shaped.
The Bottlings
For a chef, the bottlings are not vintages but the durable marks of style. Here, fine dining is the frame. Fresh, local ingredients inform the work, while bold flavour gives the cooking its edge. The signature note is refined dining informed by fresh, local ingredients. Nothing in that description is casual: “refined” asks for precision, “fresh” asks for timing, “local” asks for attention to place, and “bold” asks the plate to speak clearly. Van den Berg’s work at the Stellenbosch venue sits in that tension between force and thoughtfulness. The cooking is not defined by a single listed dish; it is defined by a method of making fine dining out of local material and direct flavour.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Matt
What style or method defines Matt van den Berg's work?
A fine-dining method defined by bold flavours and a thoughtful use of fresh, local ingredients.
What is Matt van den Berg known for making?
He is known for making fine dining with bold flavours and a thoughtful approach to local ingredients.
