Deidre Hartley trained for 3 years at the well-known Silwood kitchen in Cape Town and emerged as a well-rounded qualified Chef. She immediately accepted a position as Executive chef of Ngala Game Lodge, in Mapumalanga, which was then part of Conservation Co (CCAfrica). She spent 2 happy years there before deciding to move down to Plettenberg bay to build and operate theirfamily business, Redbourne Lodge, which soon became a popular and well-known restaurant and top 100 in food and wine.