Our Story
Culinary Table grew from a simple idea: create a restaurant where the food is guided by the integrity of its ingredients. Under the leadership of executive chef and operator
Daniela Gutstadt, the space and business as a whole, have evolved into a multifaceted, garden-to-table destination restaurant and food market;
rooted in sustainability, craft, and a relentless respect for sourcing.
While the Gutstadt family continues to support the business behind the scenes, Culinary Table today is very much driven by a woman-led team. Daniela oversees everything from the organic kitchen garden to procurement, menu development, the adjoining deli, and the in-house butchery, ensuring every part of the operation works with intention and transparency.
The restaurant’s origins trace back to Culinary Equipment Company, known for building some of the country’s most respected professional kitchens. What began as a demo kitchen surrounded by state-of-the-art tools and a pantry kept stocked for visiting chefs, this grew organically into a daily staff meal work culture.
Over time, that spirit of feeding people well with honesty, simplicity, and seasonality, became the foundation of Culinary Table.
Today, the once-industrial space has been transformed into a thriving restaurant and garden, where thoughtful sourcing meets quiet innovation. It’s a place where produce from the soil, sustainably raised proteins, and carefully chosen international pantry staples come together without fuss—just good food, made with purpose.
Executive Chef & Operator
Daniela Gutstadt
Daniela Gutstadt runs Culinary Table with a steady hand, a sharp palate, and an unwavering commitment to ingredient integrity. Her approach blends classical training with a deeply personal philosophy: keep it simple, honour the source, and let ingredients speak for themselves.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, Daniela first pursued a degree in Marketing, Business French and Italian at the University of Cape Town before shifting course and diving fully into cooking. She trained in New York City at the International Culinary Center, completing a Grande Diplôme in Classic Culinary Arts along with specializations in bread and wine. Her weekends were spent absorbing the energy of the city’s food world; working events like the James Beard Foundation Awards and interning in high-performance kitchens such as ABC Kitchen and Del Posto.
Since returning to South Africa, Daniela has shaped Culinary Table into a multifaceted hospitality business: restaurant, organic kitchen garden, deli, roastery, butchery, bakery, and retail destination. Over the past decade, she has developed and plated more than 5,000 unique dishes through her evolving menus - each grounded in seasonality, sustainability, and a minimal-intervention ethos.
Her work has earned national recognition, including multiple American Express Restaurant Awards, a 1-star Eat Out Award in 2025, and Luxe Family Restaurant of the Year 2025.
Yet Daniela’s focus remains exactly where it started: thoughtful cooking, responsible sourcing, and a team-first culture that keeps Culinary Table evolving—quietly, intentionally, and always with purpose.
Other Businesses in the Group
Coffee Lab
Culinary has always had a strong dedication to the coffee industry, and after many years of struggling to find the right coffee products to accompany our coffee machines, we decided to make our own.
Coffee Lab sources beans and roasts a number of blends to suit both coffee novices and the most discerning palettes alike. Culinary designed and fitted the coffee production solution, including the roaster and packing stations.
Culinary Equipment Company
Culinary Equipment Company is a commercial kitchen and laundry equipment supplier for hotels, guest lodges, hospitals and restaurants. The equipment used is sourced from top brands from around the world.
Culinary Equipment company sell hard-to-find and high-quality kitchen appliances, tools and accessories to a discerning clientele. Headed by managing director Stefan Gutstadt and Wehrner Gutstadt in Lanseria, Johannesburg
Schulphoek House
Schulphoek House is a five-star beach-side boutique hotel situated in Hermanus. With gorgeous rooms, views, gardens, and an impressive kitchen and wine cellar, it’s easy to see why this eco-friendly hotel is a popular seaside escape.
Under the direction of Wehrner Gutstadt, the 2017 renovation of Schulphoek saw Culinary remodel the kitchen and supply all kitchen and bar equipment, dinnerware, glassware and cutlery.
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