Noakes diet on a roll

Cape Town is at the centre of global dietary change, says Professor Tim Noakes, whose advocacy of a controversial high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet has made it catch on fast in the city and across South Africa.

Speaking at the Food and Hospitality World Conference in Cape Town yesterday, Noakes said: "Already we're talking about restaurants needing to cater 50% of their menu to the Banting diet."

He said the trend was catching on in South Africa and would become a global phenomenon, challenging the traditional view that fats cause heart disease.

Noakes advocates the Banting diet, designed in 1862 for William Banting, a man so fat "he couldn't walk down the stairs front-ways or he would fall".

It restricts carbohydrates and sugar, and advocates a higher saturated fat intake.

The diet is a talking point around the world, featuring in publications such as National Geographic and The New York Times in recent weeks.

Noakes said Banting, who rowed every day without losing weight, was proof that "exercise has nothing to do with weight".

But the Health Professions Council has warned of risks with the diet, saying there is little published scientific evidence to support it.

Noakes said the evidence is in ancient cultures, in which people lived well on similar diets.

Ben Alcott spoke on how to become a reality TV chef. Alcott has directed foodie stars such as Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, and worked with Mariah Carey and Robbie Williams.

"Celebrity chefs are the new rock stars," he said.

"South Africa has great produce, food and talent but the quality of TV and web content is really low."

He said Oliver's breakthrough into celebrity TV came when he was a chef at the famous River Café in London and was due in part to a South African girl.

He said Oliver would have been off work the day a BBC crew came to film a Christmas special at the restaurant, but a colleague asked him to cover for him as he wanted to spend the day with a South African girl.

The TV producer loved Oliver's lively approach to his work, he was offered his own show and The Naked Chef was born.