Pieter de Jager grew up cooking in his father's restaurant in Pretoria, and after studying at the South African Chefs Academy, under the mentorship of culinary legends Garth Stroebel and Paul Hartmann, he spent valuable career time in Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom, predominantly at The Waterside Inn in Bray, England. Here he mastered the art of fine dining cuisine and silver service under the guidance of Michel Roux and his son Alain Roux.