HHearth & GrainRequest a tasting
Heritage catering · Johannesburg

Home food.
Hotel standards.

Hearth & Grain is a heritage South African catering studio led by MaMkhwanazi. We bring the soul of Mogodu and the discipline of a fine-dining kitchen to weddings, boardrooms and ceremonies — from 50 plates to 500 guests.

12,400+
Guests served
8–12
Events / month
98%
On-time SLA
Plate 01 · Oxtail & Samp
No. 047 / 2026
"Cooked the way Gogo would. Served the way the room deserves."
— Standard Bank Eastgate— The Maslow, Sandton— Mbeki Family Wedding— Soweto Heritage Day— Nedbank Off-site— Mokoena Lobola— ABSA Regional Training— Khanyile-Dlamini Wedding— Standard Bank Eastgate— The Maslow, Sandton— Mbeki Family Wedding— Soweto Heritage Day— Nedbank Off-site— Mokoena Lobola— ABSA Regional Training— Khanyile-Dlamini Wedding
Our standard

Heritage,
systematised.

Clients have historically had to choose between authentic flavour with unreliable service, or sterile industrial catering with no soul. We built Hearth & Grain to close that gap with four non-negotiables.

01

Cultural authenticity

Recipes carried through generations — Mogodu, Samp & Beans, Tripe, Dombolo — built into a menu engineered for scale.

02

Documented SOPs

Standardised recipes, plating guides, temperature logs and pre-event checklists. The same dish for 50 or 500.

03

Transparent contracts

Clear per-guest pricing, written deposits, signed SLAs. No "approximate" quotes, no surprises on invoice day.

04

Founder sign-off

Every menu item is tasted and approved by MaMkhwanazi before service. The buck stops at the head chef.

What we do

Four ways to eat
with us.

From a Tuesday-lunch office order to a 500-guest wedding, the kitchen runs the same playbook. Pick the surface that fits — we'll match the standard to the room.

Servicefrom R 250

Wedding

A celebration menu built for joy and scale. Weddings, lobola, and private celebrations.

    Servicefrom R 200

    Traditional Ceremony

    Food as ceremony. Mogodu, Umleqwa, and Inhloko for lobola, umemulo, and cultural events.

      Servicefrom R 180

      Corporate Event

      Professional, punctual, and on-brand. Office lunches, training days, and board meetings.

        Servicefrom R 150

        Funeral / Memorial

        Dignified, nourishing food prepared with care and respect for the occasion and the family.

          Servicefrom R 200

          Birthday / Private

          Your celebration, your menu. Garden parties, milestones, and intimate gatherings.

            Transparent pricing

            No “we’ll get
            back to you.”

            Every quote is written, every deposit term is documented, every SLA is signed. Prices below exclude VAT. Custom proposals issued within 48 hours of brief.

            Pre-order via WhatsApp.

            Daily plated meal

            R 80per guest
            • · One main + two sides
            • · 24-hour pre-order window
            • · Delivery within 10km: R 35
            ★ Most booked
            Weddings · ceremonies · funerals.

            Buffet event

            R 150–R 250per guest
            • · 3 mains, 4 sides, 2 desserts
            • · Basic staffing & setup
            • · 100–500+ guests
            • · Hire stock co-ordinated
            Multi-course with table service.

            Plated fine dining

            R 250–R 450per guest
            • · 3 or 5 course tasting
            • · Full waiter brigade (1:10)
            • · Bespoke menu development
            • · Linen & glassware optional
            Recurring monthly contract.

            Corporate retainer

            R 2.5k–R 15kper month
            • · Weekly office lunches
            • · Net-30 invoicing
            • · Quarterly menu refresh
            • · Dietary tracking

            All event bookings require a 40% deposit at sign-off and balance 7 days before the event. We’ll never invoice you outside the agreed terms.

            VAT excluded · Prices valid through Dec 2026

            Founder · 2014–present
            “Cook home food, like a hotel cooks.”
            Meet the chef

            MaMkhwanazi
            — Founder & Head Chef.

            A culinary custodian blending generational recipes with modern gastronomy. Over a decade in heritage cuisine — first at her grandmother’s table, then in commercial kitchens across Gauteng — MaMkhwanazi owns menu R&D, quality control, and the cultural integrity of every plate that leaves the Hearth & Grain kitchen.

            12+
            years cooking heritage cuisine
            HACCP
            food safety certified kitchen
            38
            recipe-cards in the master book
            1
            head chef who tastes every plate
            From inquiry to debrief

            How a booking
            actually works.

            We refuse to operate the WhatsApp-and-pray way. Six steps, written down, every time — from a corporate Tuesday lunch to a 400-guest lobola.

            01

            Inquire

            Send us your event date, guest count, and rough vibe. We respond within one business day.

            02

            Tasting

            Free tasting at the kitchen for events over R 25k. Bring up to 4 people and a notebook.

            03

            Proposal

            Within 48 hours: written menu, full per-guest cost, staffing plan, signed SLA.

            04

            Deposit & lock

            40% deposit holds the date. Final menu and dietary tracker due 14 days out.

            05

            Service day

            On-site setup. Trained crew. Founder sign-off before guests arrive.

            06

            Debrief

            Post-event call within 7 days. NPS check. Final invoice. Glass back to you.

            Plan your event

            Let’s build
            your menu.

            Six short steps and you’ll have a live estimate in front of you. We’ll follow up within one business day with a tasting invitation and written proposal.

            What are we cooking for?

            Pick the closest match — we'll tailor from there.

            Step 1 of 6