BakielBen Shomriel

Bakiel Vegan Catering is led by Chef Bakiel Ben Shomriel, a pioneering vegan culinary artist with over 20 years of experience redefining plant based cuisine in South Africa. Known as The Soy Chef, he creates flavour packed menus that satisfy devoted vegans, flexitarians and even committed meat eaters. Services are available across Johannesburg and Gauteng, including Sandton and Rosebank, and in Cape Town with a focus on Constantia, Camps Bay, the City Bowl and Claremont, as well as surrounding areas.

The business specialises in private chef experiences that are designed to impress all palates. Intimate dinner parties are crafted as personalised, multi course journeys, with careful attention to technique and presentation. Special occasion celebrations such as birthdays and anniversaries are supported with bespoke menus, while corporate entertaining is delivered at an executive level for clients seeking a refined plant based culinary experience. Whether hosting a small gathering at home or a high level business function, clients can expect cuisine that emphasises depth of flavour and thoughtful composition.

Chef Bakiel’s culinary expertise underpins every event. His vegan protein mastery includes signature seitan creations that offer authentic textures and complex flavours, diverse tofu preparations that showcase its versatility from silky to crisp, and tempeh specialisation informed by early innovation in the South African market. Flavour development is a defining strength, from umami rich techniques and proprietary spice blends to reductions, glazes and marinades that bring balance and nuance to each dish.

Artisanal vegan cheesemaking is another standout. The repertoire spans cultured and aged varieties, along with speciality styles such as smoked gouda, mozzarella and blue cheese alternatives. These cheeses are developed with functional properties in mind so they melt, stretch and gratinate effectively in culinary applications. This breadth allows the catering to mirror the complexity and comfort of traditional fare while remaining fully plant based.

Beyond event catering, Bakiel Vegan Catering offers culinary education. Private cooking classes provide hands on instruction in key vegan techniques, while group workshops present interactive demonstrations on topics like plant proteins, cheesemaking and flavour building. Professional development training is also available for chefs and food service teams who nt to strengthen plant based skills and kitchen readiness.

The consultancy supports hospitality and food businesses with menu development and strategy. Services include restaurant menu creation that balances appeal and profitability, product development for commercial plant based items, and broader food business guidance for entrepreneurs entering or expanding in the vegan space. This blend of operational insight and culinary depth helps clients deliver compelling offerings for modern diners.

Chef Bakiel’s professional background speaks to sustained leadership in the field. He founded Eat 2 Live Enterprise, now Gahn Eden, one of South Africa’s pioneering commercial vegan food companies. He established one of the first tofu factories in rural South Africa using organic farming practices and introduced tempeh to the local retail market. He is a key contributor to the Global Seitan Society and has studied advanced soy processing and texturisation at North Dakota State University and the Northern Crops Institute. His research includes fact finding across China, Mauritius and Israel, including work with Teva Deli Factory and studies in sustainable agriculture in the Negev Desert. Media features include coverage on DW News as well as profiles by WISHH and SoyGrowers.

A clear philosophy guides the service. Inclusive excellence ensures dishes are created to delight every guest, cultural heritage is honoured while being reimagined in plant based form, and a whole food focus favours minimally processed ingredients and traditional fermentation. Knowledge sharing is central, which is evident in the emphasis on education and professional training. Together, these elements result in gourmet vegan catering that is both innovative and accessible, suited to private dining, special occasions and corporate hospitality across Johannesburg, Gauteng and Cape Town.

Bakiel Ben Shomriel is a pioneering vegan chef and culinary innovator based in South Africa, specializing in gourmet plant-based cuisine. With over 20 years of experience, he creates extraordinary dishes that appeal to all palates, including meat-lovers.