RESTAURANT ENTREPRENEURSHIP: WE ALL NEED TO EAT
What does it take to run a successful restaurant – or any kind of business – in the food industry? What are the things you need to keep in mind as you approach the opening night? How do you ensure that the dining experience you offer stands out above the rest? Is a prime location with lots of foot traffic really that important?
In this course, you will learn how Jan Hendrik started his career as a restaurateur and how he crafts distinctive culinary experiences as he shares the lessons he’s learnt while running a restaurant in Europe, and back home on South African soil. His conversation with fellow chef, entrepreneur, author and friend, Karen Dudley, is full of laughs, practical advice, and candid accounts of some of their wins and losses – from a Woodstock visit by Michelle Obama and developing the Love Sandwich, to realising that you’re really not good at maths, and finding partners who are.
This is the story of how Jan Hendrik started his restaurants. Now, let’s talk about yours.
COURSE INCLUDES inspirational video learning sessions featuring Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen and Karen Dudley. | An integrated digital workbook with additional learning material and reflective exercises. | A JAN Innovation Academy certificate on completion of the course. | Optional CV submission to the JAN Group.
MENTAL RESILIENCE IN THE WORKPLACE: BE KIND TO YOURSELF
The hospitality and creative industries are notoriously challenging work environments. Facing incredible pressure from themselves and critics of their work to keep impressing, innovating and improving, those who work in these industries often experience mental distress or mental illness.
In this course, Jan Hendrik and Gabi Lowe (founder of The Resilience Factory and author of Get Me to 21), take you on a journey to learn more about mental health, especially in the workplace. You will learn about authentic resilience, setting boundaries, managing stress and toxicity in the workplace, and how to develop healthy coping mechanisms to live a more balanced, meaningful life. Gabi joined forces with Pippa Shaper in 2017 to start The Resilience Factory and they have recently launched an international online course on Authentic Resilience which you can access here.
It’s so important to normalise this conversation, and in recent years we’ve made great progress. No career achievement is worth the cost of your mental health. Let’s keep talking about how to show up for ourselves and others.
COURSE INCLUDES inspirational video learning sessions featuring Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen and Gabi Lowe. | An integrated digital workbook with additional learning material and reflective exercises. | A JAN Innovation Academy certificate on completion of the course. | Optional CV submission to the JAN Group.
BUILDING YOUR PERSONAL BRAND: TELL YOUR STORY
“I believe that everyone is a brand,” says Jan Hendrik, who has turned his three-letter name, Jan, into the multidimensional brand, JAN. The story he started telling with his Michelin-starred Restaurant JAN in the south of France in 2013 soon expanded to a range of other ventures that have all become part of the JAN brand we know today.
What does it take to develop your own personal brand? What should be on your checklist during the early stages of developing your brand identity? How do you ensure that your brand is consistent, yet always on the cutting edge?
In this course, you will learn how Jan Hendrik started and built his brand and as he shares the insights he’s gained along the way. Jan Hendrik is joined by fellow chef, entrepreneur, author and friend, Sarah Graham, in a conversation about brand partnerships, social media and the importance of remaining authentic.
Learn how to package and sell your vision and values. Your dream clients are waiting.
COURSE INCLUDES inspirational video learning sessions featuring Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen and Sarah Graham. | An integrated digital workbook with additional learning material and reflective exercises. | A JAN Innovation Academy certificate on completion of the course. | Optional CV submission to the JAN Group.
THE ART OF TABLE SETTING: THE DINING ROOM BECOMES A THEATRE
Setting a show-stopping table can instil a deep appreciation in us for everything from dinnerware and fine craftsmanship to capturing the seasons through natural, foraged table décor.
Our goal with this course is to summarise and simplify the rules and guidelines regarding table setting – of which there is no shortage – and to inspire you with a glimpse into the world of table setting at JAN so that you might create your own dining dreamscapes.
It is sure to prove valuable to professionals in the events and hospitality industries who are looking for a fresh burst of inspiration and anyone who loves hosting their nearest and dearest at home.
Jan Hendrik is joined by his long-time friend and collaborator, Alwijn Burger (BLOMBOY), our Creative Director at JAN. Together, they’ll guide you to discover how to create a sustainable dining environment that fulfils your practical and creative requirements, guide your guests’ behaviour, and ground your designs in the context of the cultural moment.
COURSE INCLUDES inspirational video learning sessions featuring Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen and Alwijn Burger. | An integrated digital workbook with additional learning material and reflective exercises. | A JAN Innovation Academy certificate on completion of the course. | Optional CV submission to the JAN Group.
A FEAST FOR THE EYES: A CHEF’S NOTES ON FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Food photography at JAN has come a long way from the days when Jan Hendrik used to be a one-man show – cooking, shopping, styling, editing and pressing the shutter solo – all while shooting on film.
Today, photographing the world of food for print and digital publishing is a big piece of our bread and butter, and one of our greatest passions.
In this session, Jan Hendrik shares his thoughts on finding inspiration, developing a recognisable style, documenting your work as a chef, interacting with your inanimate subject and more.
JOY IN A GLASS: GETTING ALL MIXED UP IN THE CULTURE OF COCKTAILS
Cocktails became a big deal during the Prohibition era – forbidden fruit, am I right? A century later, the JAN team still maintain great zeal for mixing up new cocktails muddled with some of our favourite ingredients in unconventional ways, as well as the sure-fire classics guaranteed to delight guests and readers alike.
Our enthusiasm extends, perhaps more importantly, to opportunities to enjoy cocktails ourselves, and we have a peculiar ability to make these opportunities materialise on even the most ordinary of weekdays. Whether we’re taking a break from filming to savour apéro hour on the French Rivera, celebrating the past week’s paragraphs, pictures and prints on the JAN Innovation Studio rooftop at the foot of Table Mountain, or testing (read tasting) which indigenous Kalahari plants we can juice, crush, infuse or make syrups from – we’re forever intrigued by the world of the artfully mixed beverage.
Hence, we have endeavoured to explore more of this world in a series of conversations with Caitlin Hill, a dear friend of ours at Rémy Cointreau, and a force behind the bar. We are delighted to share Caitlin’s knowledge, creativity and kindness with you in these conversations on JOY IN A GLASS.
FROM ONE ENTREPRENEUR TO ANOTHER: ADVICE FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DREAM
Artists, chefs and tech-founders – entrepreneurs of all kinds, really – are continually embarking on new adventures. New ideas are brought to life every day, and it is mind-boggling to imagine all the ideas that are yet to come to life – some shared over one too many glasses of wine, others discussed in big boardrooms or studios, and many held dear since childhood.
Venturing out on your own to start your own business and becoming your own boss may be daunting, but it is a journey on which you will discover your hidden strengths and what your limits are.
In a conversation with Jan Hendrik from our archives, he shares insight and advice for navigating the world of an entrepreneur. Nothing good comes easy – you just need to know it’ll come with time, patience and grit.
FAR MORE THAN FLAVOUR: COOKING FOR TEXTURE
Can you imagine having to eat a cucumber that has the texture of a banana or being served a watery consommé instead of a creamy hollandaise on an otherwise perfect eggs benny? We often take the texture of our food for granted, only for it to seize our attention when something has gone seriously wrong.
When we understand and pay careful attention to texture, however, it becomes a powerful way to expand our pantries and culinary imaginations.
In this session, Jan Hendrik is joined by Ayanda Matomela – a talented chef and food designer who has been a part of the culinary teams at JAN Innovation Studio and Restaurant JAN in Nice.
Do you want to share some inspiration with the people in your life? Gift them a JAN Innovation Academy course and help inspire the next generation of creatives, entrepreneurs, movers and shakers.
