Q: How does it feel to be splidu’s September Chef of the Month?
It feels really great. I’m excited, and very happy to be part of it.
Q: For someone who has never attended Kuv’s Secret Suppers, how would you describe the experience?
You have to lower your inhibitions and give in to the fun. I think that’s the best way to approach it. You come in with an open mind, ready for a lot of good food and the possibility of meeting new people. That’s really what the experience has been about for the last ten years.
Q: What do you want guests to feel from the moment they walk through your door?
I want them to feel that they belong. Before the food, the stories or anything else, I want them to feel comfortable, as though there is already a place for them at the table.
Q: Do you have any rituals before hosting a supper?
I suppose my ritual begins when I tie my apron. That’s the moment it becomes real and I know it’s time to begin.
Q: Are you usually calm before a supper, or is it more like organised chaos?
I usually feel completely disorganised, but never chaotic. Chaos is not a thing! There may be several things happening at once, but somehow, it all comes together.
Q: Where do you begin when creating one of your tables?
I start with a mood board, and then we build around the theme we’ve chosen for that month. The colours, flowers, objects and smaller details all begin to take shape from there.
Q: What comes first: the menu, the story or the table setting?
The menu always comes first. The recipes and everything I’m cooking are the most important parts. Seasonality helps define the ingredients, and from there, it begins to shape the stories we can tell and the world we build around the meal.
Q: Is there one detail that every Kuv table has to have?
Flowers, I suppose, fresh flowers, colour and candles. Those elements bring the table to life and make it feel warm, generous and inviting.
Q: How do you get a table full of strangers talking to one another?
If I’ve achieved the first task of making everyone feel like they belong, it becomes quite easy for them to flow into conversation.
In a way, I cook as though I’m a ten-year-old appealing to the ten-year-old inside every diner. Somehow, that translates into the conversations too. People begin speaking to each other almost like children do, with openness, curiosity and fewer inhibitions.
Q: What happens if the conversation around the table goes quiet?
I don’t do anything, to be honest. There are enough little rules and prompts within the experience to keep things moving. Guests can share stories about the objects they’ve brought, talk about the food or try to guess different elements of the menu. Silence doesn’t necessarily need to be interrupted, either. Sometimes it’s simply part of the evening.
Q: What is your go-to object when sharing a story at the table?
Usually, it’s something I already have on me. It could be a piece of jewellery or a pen, anything with a story attached to it. I usually carry a pen that is at least fifteen or twenty years old, so that tends to be a good one.
Q: You originally trained as an architect. Does that still influence how you design your experiences?
Yes, absolutely. I don’t think you can ever take the architect out of the equation. Whoever you are and whatever you were built to be will always remain a part of you.
Architecture influences the way I think about space, structure, movement and detail. All of that naturally finds its way into how I create a menu, design a table and shape the experience of an evening.
Q: As you approach ten years of Kuv’s Secret Suppers, did you ever imagine it would become what it is today?
No, never. In fact, I was quite sure at certain points that it would probably close shop. I don’t think I could have imagined that it would continue for this long, or that so many people would eventually become part of its story.
Q: After welcoming so many people into your home, what has the experience taught you about yourself?
That I love people.
It has shown me how much I enjoy bringing people together, listening to their stories and watching strangers find connections around the table. Every supper is different because every group brings something new into the room, and I think that’s what has kept it meaningful for me all these years.
