The Test Kitchen has operated for eleven years, having won numerous local and international awards in that time.
In an interview with Eat Out, Dale Roberts provided insight into what prompted the decision to close The Test Kitchen: “There are mixed emotions, of course. I am sad in a way, but at the same time, I feel like it’s the right time to do it. It was obviously a very tough 18-months and I feel happy that we have managed to see everyone through those 18-months but in order to sustain the running of the restaurant, we need to be pretty full for lunch and dinner and with the number of people that we have running the show, I am concerned that it is not the case and it puts a lot of pressure on us.”
“Jason Kosmas, the chef at The Pot Luck Club and I are looking at a collab dinner or a series of dinners in October or November and I am going to shift a lot of my creative attention into ‘Fledgelings’ and assist them, and spend time mentoring the students. I am also looking at a few projects in Johannesburg” explains Roberts.