Chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen shares his coffee-drinking rituals

What’s your earliest memory of coffee? 

When I was a child I used to dip farm bread with lots of butter on it into a cup of coffee. The fattiness of the butter would float on the surface of the coffee. 

TRY: Jan Hendrik’s coffee butter recipe

Do you have any special coffee-drinking rituals? 

I do. It’s a little corny, but I’ve got two pigeons that come to my kitchen window and every morning I make a cup of coffee for myself and give them some pine nuts to nibble on. They’re probably the only birds in the world that get a handful of pine nuts (always slightly toasted)! I enjoy either a vanilla or caramel coffee. That’s what usually gets me going. I have about three or four throughout the day. 

What model of Nespresso machine do you have?

We’d love to know. I used to have a very little one and then they gave me a really nice one with a proper frothing function and everything, but I drink my coffee black with no sugar. 

Aside from the new barista range, do you have any other favourite Nespresso varieties?

I just love the vanilla or caramel flavours – it’s like having dessert before your day even starts. I also love an affogato dessert, or just two espresso shots in a little Tupperware: frozen, and then you just keep flaking it like you would a granita and serve it with plain Greek yoghurt. It’s delicious!