A Lookback at the DEFY x Jackie Cameron's "Chef it up!"
- Dylan Naidoo
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
By: Dylan Naidoo
DEFY’s collaboration with Jackie Cameron, along with her School of Food and Wine, could be highlighted as a significant collaboration that helped shape and inspire a generation of young and aspiring chefs. The partnership provided both Jackie Cameron and her School of Food and Wine and DEFY with exceptional opportunities.
For the Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine, DEFY provided advanced new DEFY products and a kitchen area called ‘The Defy Patisserie Kitchen’, whilst also providing a platform for Cameron to showcase many of her famous recipes. For DEFY, the partnership gave them a platform to advertise their newest advanced products, such as their ‘ThermoFan+, Steam Assisted Cleaning, and AirFire technology.’ DEFY South Africa is also a proud partner of our KZN Top Business List.
For context, Jackie Cameron is an award-winning chef and was one of our Top Business Women in 2023. However, her life tells a bigger story than just that. In her early career, Cameron worked as a head chef at the Hartford House for 12 years. Cameron was inspired to start her own cooking school through visiting the Christina Martin School of Food and Wine. “I loved Christina Martin’s business mind, and I realised that education was where I wanted to go.” says Cameron to KZN Top Business Women. Cameron explained that she did not want to disappoint her parents, citing how much they have done for her already. After some more time spent at the Christina Martin School of Food and Wine, Cameron would finally start her own cooking school: Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine based in Hilton.
Through their partnership with DEFY, Cameron and her cooking school have recorded episodes of “Chef it up!” hosted on DEFY’s YouTube channel in 2025. DEFY South Africa described the partnership as “driven by a shared passion for innovation, creativity, and empowering the next generation of culinary talent.” DEFY further described the partnership as an opportunity to provide aspiring chefs with appliances that master their craft and enhance their cooking experiences. The show was a great success, with each episode surpassing 100 000 views, bringing more eyes to the Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine.
When looking at ‘The Defy Patisserie Kitchen’, made by DEFY to help the young chefs exceed their cooking, it shined as a top-tier kitchen. According to DEFY, the kitchen was fitted with “world-class equipment, crucial for mastering the art of patisserie”, further emphasising that this cutting-edge technology allows students to bring culinary visions to life. DEFY explained that this equipment would play a crucial role in the growth of young and aspiring chefs.
Looking back, the partnership between DEFY and Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine was more than just a partnership of branding and recognition. It was a partnership that uplifted and supported young and aspiring chefs in their culinary journey. With the show’s run drawn to a close back in July 2025, what has not closed is the journey for Cameron. She has been an amazing chef that truly cares about investing into her students and her restaurant, bringing up a new generation of chefs to represent KZN and its rich food and wine culture. With that, it is no surprise why we nominated Jackie Cameron in our 2023 KZN Top Business Women, as well as DEFY South Africa in our KZN Top Business List.
