The success of DariKay stems from Yehiel Kaplan’s culinary idealism – he flatly refuses to compromise on quality. Before becoming a chef 33 years ago, he worked as a kibbutz farmer in Israel. “We were taking food fresh from the earth and straight to the table. It was amazing,” Yehiel says. “So I know just how good natural ingredients can be.”

That formative experience continues to shape his kitchen philosophy. Yehiel is a passionate believer in supporting local farmers and insists on using only the freshest vegetables, herbs and spices. “It’s the products that inspire me,” he explains.

Aided and abetted by his wife Dari – the name DariKay is an amalgamation of ‘Dari’ and ‘Kaplan’ – this single-minded commitment to the pursuit of yumminess delivers extraordinary results. DariKay’s gourmet range of soups reflect the couple’s passion for perfection. Yehiel excels at giving old favourites an innovative tweak that catapults them to another dimension, gaining glowing reviews and scooping a haul of awards along the way. Yehiel admits there’s a certain formula behind DariKay’s success. But you don’t have to be a rocket-scientist to understand it. “Quality ingredients plus a love for cooking, equals top recipes and products,” says Yehiel, before rushing back to the kitchen to fine-tune his latest culinary revelation.