Long before she became executive chef of Tryn and Bistro Sixteen82 at Steenberg Farm, Kerry Kilpin’s understanding of food was shaped around a family table on a farm and by a ritual that marked both comfort and departure.
The last day of every school holiday carried a quiet weight. It meant returning to boarding school that afternoon, but it also meant one final meal at home. Always the same, always requested.
“We would all sit down as a family for lunch, and it was, without a doubt, a roast leg of lamb with roast potatoes. There had to be extra roast potatoes, cauliflower with cheese sauce, another green vegetable and loads of gravy,” recalls Kerry.
What may seem like a simple meal became something far deeper: a marker of time, a celebration of the holidays just passed, and a source of comfort before leaving home again.
And, there were rituals within the ritual: the smell of lamb drifting across the farm, the inevitable stealing of golden roast potatoes before they made it to the table, the scramble for the best cuts and a playful fight with her brother over the prized ‘kinkle’ bone, together with the certainty of sitting down together, no distractions, just family.
“It was always something special that was created for us by our loved ones,” she says. “That’s why it stayed.”
Today, Kerry carries that memory into her cooking at Steenberg – not as something to replicate exactly, but as something to reinterpret for modern life. While her cooking has evolved, shaped by technique and a deeper understanding of flavour, the essence remains unchanged. “It’s those small tweaks – a bit of mustard in the cheese sauce or some wine in the gravy – that elevate it. But the heart of it is still the same.”
And it’s this spirit that inspires her approach to Mother’s Day. Instead of complexity or perfection, Kerry encourages families to focus on connection by creating a meal that feels thoughtful, achievable and shared, and one that dads and children can prepare together for Mom.
“It’s about everyone being part of it,” she says. “From a young age I made the gravy, my mom cooked the meal, my dad carved the lamb and my brother’s job was to sneak pieces off the board. That’s what makes a meal memorable – when everyone is involved.”
Her Mother’s Day version of this classic roast is intentionally simple: a roast prepared with care, crispy potatoes, a comforting sauce and seasonal sides.
“Food is connection,” Kerry says. “It’s about creating memories and time together. That’s what makes it special.”
Now a mother herself, she understands the value of that gesture more than ever. In a world of busy schedules and constant distractions, a home-cooked meal, made with intention, becomes more than just food. It becomes a moment. “That connection is what you are after, and I want another mom to feel that love this Mother’s Day.”
Kerry’s message is simple: It’s not about cooking like a chef. It’s about cooking with heart. Because sometimes, the meals that stay with us are not the most elaborate but, rather, the ones that bring us home.
Chef Kerry Kilpin’s Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe
- 1 lamb leg roast
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small carrot, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 5 sprigs thyme, picked
- 600ml beef or lamb stock
- 200ml Sauvignon Blanc (When making for a young family with children, I prefer to use white wine, but this can be substituted with red wine.)
- 1 red onion or shallot, thinly sliced into rings
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- Knob of butter
Preheat your oven to 200°C.
Prepare your roasting tray by making a bed of vegetables using the chopped onion, carrot, garlic, mushrooms and rosemary.
Season the lamb well with salt, pepper, picked thyme and lemon juice. Layer the top of the roast with the sliced onion and drizzle with olive oil. Place the lamb on top of the vegetable bed. Pour the stock and wine around the vegetables.
Cover the roast with foil and cook for 30 minutes at 200°C. Reduce the oven temperature to 175°C and roast for a further 60–90 minutes, depending on the size of the joint and whether you using a bone-in or bone-out. Bone-in takes longer to cook.
After 1 hour of cooking, remove the foil and allow the meat to brown until cooked to your preference.
Remove from the oven and rest the meat for 10–15 minutes on a platter, loosely covered before carving.
To make the gravy: Remove the rosemary sprig. Blend the roasting juices and vegetables until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce to approximately 350ml, add a knob of butter and thicken with cornflour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
