Meet Joe Bussio, The Boathouse’s Executive Chef!

Joe Bussio started as Executive Chef at The Boathouse on 12 August 2026. He is a mostly self-taught chef with a strong catering background, and his cooking career started in the SA Navy.

We asked Joe a few questions to get to know him better, from his plans for the new menu to one of the strangest stories he has from working in a kitchen!

What dish on the new menu are you most proud of?

Joe believes the salads will be a winner, especially during summer. After a few days of enjoying meat and seafood, holidaymakers might be ready for something a little different!

Tell us about the funniest or most chaotic thing that has happened in a kitchen.

Joe's story about the day everyone thought granny had died is certainly one to remember!

One of his waitresses had invited her entire family for dinner when she called Joe out of the kitchen and told him granny was dead. He went to check and found granny cold, with no pulse, slumped over the table.

The family carried on as if nothing had happened, while Joe tried to wrap granny in a blanket and sneak her out without the packed restaurant noticing. Granny was placed on the ground outside the kitchen, with waitresses stepping over and around her, while Joe called the local doctor.

The doctor arranged for an ambulance, and when the paramedics arrived, everyone checked granny again. The doctor then found a weak pulse! The ambulance crew went to fetch a stretcher, but when they returned, granny had disappeared.

They eventually found her back at her table, with an empty whisky bottle in her bag. Granny was very much alive, and Joe certainly had a kitchen story he would never forget!

What would you cook if a regular asked you to make something that's not on the menu?

If the ingredients were available and time allowed, Joe would be happy to prepare roast duck, lamb shank, oxtail casserole or a quick pasta dish. A toasted baguette with rare beef and mustard would also be a good option.

Why Gansbaai?

Joe says Gansbaai reminds him of Kommetjie, where he grew up. He loves the typical holiday village atmosphere, where 48 weeks of the year are peaceful, and the other four weeks, along with a few long weekends, bring what he describes as an "organised chaotic mess"!

We're excited to have Joe as part of The Boathouse team and look forward to seeing what he brings to the kitchen.

Want to see what Joe and the team have cooking? View the full new menu here!