Isabella Niehaus

Bella, as she is known to her friends, is a successful entrepreneur, blogger and talented cook. She started her career in media in 1987 when she became beauty editor of the Rooi Rose magazine. A seven-year stint as fashion editor for Sarie magazine followed, then many years in the fashion business working for Men’s Health, Shape, Top Billing Magazine and eventually also as presenter of fashion inserts on the TV programme Pasella.

With fashion and style always part of her career, Isabella seamlessly moved to embrace her inborn love for food, flavours and cooking. She launched her Bella’s food label at various markets and trendy food events such as Kamers vol Geskenke. In her house on the Dune in Langebaan she hosted “langtafel” dinners for up to 40 people at a time. Her venue had a magnetic attraction for a circle of well-known celebrities, captains of industry and famous chefs who celebrated their birthdays and weddings at her house.

There’s a Vegan on my Verandah, the cookbook she wrote with artist Louis Jansen van Vuuren, won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for the best vegan cookbook in the world in 2023. Bella recently relocated to Riebeek Kasteeel where her food journey continues with “Bella’s Table” – themed dinners hosted at local restaurants in the region.