Peter Duncan

Coming Up

The kitchen path here starts with service pressure, not theory. Under chef Maritz Jacobs at Reuben's Restaurant and Bar in Franschhoek, Peter Duncan entered the pace of a professional pass and the discipline required to hold it. That experience was followed by a work opportunity under chef Constantijn Hahndiek at The Private Hotel School in Stellenbosch, where the basics of timing, teamwork and repetition were sharpened in a training setting. Competition and staged service entered early. As student representative at the one&Only Reaching for Young Stars Competition (2015), Peter Duncan was placed in a setting where hospitality is measured in performance as much as preparation. An internship at The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek (until 2017) then added another layer of fine-dining exposure, with standards that demand consistency, control and attention to detail. Progression through rank is the clearest thread in this profile. Peter Duncan moved into Chef de partie at La Petite Colombe (from 2017), then advanced through junior sous chef at La Petite Colombe, junior sous chef at La Colombe in Constantia, and senior sous chef at La Colombe. The current role as Executive Chef of La Petite Colombe completes a route built by repetition, responsibility and time in kitchens that expect exacting execution.

Where They Are Now

Executive Chef at La Petite Colombe is a role that asks for command of pace, section discipline and consistency across service. Peter Duncan’s route to that post runs through successive stations and increasing responsibility, with each move adding another practical layer rather than a sudden reinvention. The result is a career shaped by accumulation: service rhythm, kitchen hierarchy and the ability to keep standards steady under pressure.

Signature

Peter's signature dishes include sage martini. The dish name points to a style that values clarity of idea and tight execution, where a menu item can carry identity without needing excess explanation. In that sense, it reads as a signature built for recall rather than noise.

In Their Words “To be honest, it was the worst experience of my life, but oddly enough I fell in love with the idea of food service being a sport and decided to pursue a career in food and hospitality.” Taken together, these lines frame the kitchen as a competitive environment before it became a career choice. The draw was not sentiment; it was the structure of service itself, and the way pressure can turn into purpose for someone used to measured competition.

Honors

Peter's honors include Second place, One&Only Reaching for Young Stars Competition. That result sits within a path that moved from Reuben's Restaurant and Bar in Franschhoek to The Private Hotel School in Stellenbosch, then on to The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek, La Petite Colombe and La Colombe in Constantia. The recognition is early, but it matches a career built by steady steps rather than shortcuts.