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Chef Phillip Hunt discusses working in the US and employing fellow South African chefs to help run his kitchen at Winslow’s Tavern, located in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Hunt, co-owner and head chef at Winslow’s Tavern, was born and raised in Durban (Hillcrest and Berea), moved to Cape Town after high school and, in 1991, emigrated to the US.
Hunt has also taken on a number of graduates from Capsicum Culinary Studio over the years. His current team includes Capsicum alumni Kevin Reed and Tinotendo Sadziwa, both of whom studied at the school’s Cape Town campus.
Celebrating his 20th year at the helm of Winslow’s Tavern, JAG Communications asked Hunt about his journey from KwaZulu Natal to Cape Cod and his affinity for employing Capsicum graduates.
How did a boy from Berea end up running an acclaimed establishment in the US?
I left South Africa for political reasons. I objected to the apartheid regime and refused to participate in the compulsory military service at the time. I moved to New York to pursue a fine arts career, met Tracey, a documentary filmmaker for National Geographic, and we got married in 2004. Tracey and I are both keen foodies and we had talked about opening a small-plates wine bar in the Big Apple. Tracey and I got married in 2004 and just as we were about to go on our honeymoon, Tracey’s mother called to tell us that there was a restaurant in the small town of Wellfleet up for sale. Her family had been summering on Cape Cod for 30 years, so it wasn’t a difficult decision to leave New York for Wellfleet. The town has a population of less than 4 000, but that number swells to nearly six times that during the summer.
What are your respective roles and responsibilities?
I am the Executive Chef, managing everything to do with the back of the house and Tracey is the General Manager dealing with everything to do with the front of the house.
Where did you get your cheffing experience from?
My mother, Charlotte Hunt, always drafted me into service when she was short-staffed at the restaurants and catering business she owned. I was cheap labour. It ended up formulating a lot of my experience and knowledge. Tracey and I basically jumped into the deep end with Winslow’s Tavern, so my journey was very much figuring it all out as I went along.
How long have you been managing the establishment?
This year will be our 20th season/year.
You employ a lot of Capsicum graduates. Why is that?
The winners of the annual Showcook Reaching for Young Stars competition are offered a work experience position with us as part of their prize, so if we employ a lot of Capsicum students it’s probably because they keep winning.
What is a typical day for an intern?
When the students arrive at Winslow’s Tavern, they immediately step into the kitchen as a Chef de Partie. At the height of the season, they will arrive around 9am and jump into the day’s prep. At around 11am they start setting up and building the mise en place for their designated station for lunch which runs from noon to 3pm; then take a break until 4.30pm when they will set up their dinner station for service starting at 5.30pm. After service and clean-up they will probably go skinny dipping in one of the freshwater ponds or go to a beach bonfire with the rest of the staff.
Have you had any students that have stayed and worked beyond their internship?
Yes, we have two students from 2023 that have come back for a three year stretch and Kevin Reed from Capsicum (a 2019 Showcook winner) is lined up to eventually take over the kitchen from me as I start to step away from the day-to-day operations after 20 years.
Do South African students bring with them something that students from elsewhere don’t?
The one thing I love about the students joining me in my kitchen is that they bring with them all their learned experiences from other kitchens. I can learn from their experiences just as much as they can (hopefully) learn from mine. One thing that all the South African students/chefs share that makes them special is an extraordinary work ethic, a positive attitude in the face of adversity and a “can do” approach that makes coming to work every day a joy and pleasure. I was outside the kitchen the other day and my seafood delivery guy stopped on his way out and said that he had never delivered to a kitchen where every Chef was so happy, and everyone seemed to be having so much fun. That meant a lot to me personally but was also a reflection on their attitudes at work.
Over the years have you added in South African touches to the menu? And if so – what is the reaction from local diners?
A lot of my South African touches come in the form of seasoning, both subtle and unexpected as well as bold. South Africa has a rich language of spice use and singular flavour combinations that translate well to my Mediterranean/New American style in ways that customers respond favourably to. We can never get through a season without peri-peri on the menu either – right now we’re serving a grilled peri-peri monkfish skewer.
How often do you get to travel back to South Africa?
I still have family in SA and try to get back as often as possible – usually every couple of years. I was in Cape Town earlier this year in fact for the Showcook Reaching for Young Stars competition – won by another Capsicum student, Huwitt Strydom, from Kraaifontein, who will be joining us in 2025 for five months as part of his prize.
For more on Winslow’s Tavern and its menu, visit www.winslowstavern.com/home
