May 24 - JHB North

Natascha is the kind of person who makes any person
walking into her home feel like a VIP – seemingly with very
little effort. She’s also the kind of person who, rather than
getting bored with her possessions, delights in finding
new ways to use them, usually to very striking effect.
Here’s an example. A few weeks ago, she found a stilllife
painting. It could have looked stuffy in anyone else’s
home, but Natascha placed it underneath a glass table
top, matched it with crockery, napkins and glasses, and
voila – a tablescape quite unlike any other.
The result? Anyone lucky enough to receive an invitation
to one of her dinners is certain to have an experience that
will linger long in their memories.
That was certainly the case for the contestants who found
their hosting talents pitted against Natascha’s when she
entered the South African version of Come Dine With Me
- a competition she won thanks to the combination of her
cooking skills (guests were served a rainbow carrots and
beetroot carpaccio with
homemade labneh and
Middle Eastern flatbread,
seared salmon served
with roasted cauliflower
steak topped with
homemade anchovy
butter and minted pea
puree for mains, and a
dessert of blueberry jelly
mousse with her own
sugar edible flowers)
and unbeatable flair
for entertaining. After
all, how many people
do you know who can
cut off the top of a
champagne bottle with
a sword?
Set to
impress
Hands up if you love entertaining – but hate
all the logistics around it? Natascha Le Roux’s
The Nifty Pantry has you covered!
Admittedly, Natascha
had plenty of practise
before she perfected the
fine art of hostessing, as
founder of the cooking club Messe and Forks. “It was back
in the early 2000s, when everyone was joining a book
club. I loved the idea of getting together to chat, drink
wine and eat great food, but I didn’t necessarily have the
time to read,” she recalls.
Everyone has time to eat, though – which is why she
invited six friends (one each to cook up a starter, carb
dish, veggie side, protein and dessert) to host a monthly
dinner at each other’s houses. At the end of each dinner,
members were able to vote for their favorite dish and
rank their host on everything from the welcoming drinks
they’d received to the table setting and the cocktails on
offer and overall experience of the evening. “It grew rather
competitive,” Natascha laughs.
And that meant that members were constantly trying
to outdo themselves. So, when Come Dine With Me SA
announced it was looking for entrants, Natascha was
ready. Her success got her thinking ... much as she loves
14 Get It Magazine May 24
the part of entertaining which is all about conjuring up a
look and feel, there are people out there who don’t enjoy
it, or who simply don’t have time for it. What if she created
a service to help them? And so The Nifty Pantry was born.
“My mother had recently passed away at the time, and
that made me realise that life was short. I had created my
business plan back in 2018, but I didn’t have the courage
to leave me corporate job until that moment.”
Launched in November 2022, The Nifty Pantry – inspired
by her friend’s giant pantry, which stores all manner of
gorgeous items to set a beautiful table and is one of
Natascha’s favourite places – is all about helping hosts
and hostesses stage the perfect event, while saving
them on the stress. It’s all about simplicity. Natascha
has put together pre-designed table settings, including
tablecloths, dinnerware, cutlery, glasses, candles and
centrepieces and everything in between. Clients hop
online, choose the look they love, let her know how
many guests they’re
expecting, and she’ll
deliver everything they
need to recreate the
look at home, including
instructions and a photo
of what their table will
look like once they’ve
followed all the steps.
“It’s a fabulous choice
for people who aren’t
really able to visualise all
the elements together
– we’ve done it for
them. And it’s also great
for people who want
to offer their guests
something new with
every visit, but don’t
have the space to store
everything they need,”
Natascha says.
Her table settings
have added style and sophistication to all manner of
events, from bridal showers to milestone birthdays and
corporate functions. And it’s not just about setting a stage.
Natascha’s keen eye for detail means that she’s able to
remove the areas that typically cause stress for hosts, from
coming up with an exciting theme to managing RSVPs.
One of the reasons she’s so passionate about the concept
is because she has a real love of bringing people together.
“When we’re with our friends and family, we’re able to
share meaningful conversations and make memories.
That’s what entertaining is all about – so you shouldn’t be
put off just because you’re not mad about coordinating
napkins and table cloths.”
Natascha is looking forward to growing the business
so she can create more jobs and upskill her current
employees – and, of course, to help more people spend
time laughing around a table that looks just beautiful.
Details: www.theniftypantry.co.za, 083-365-3000.