Skip to main content



A day in the life of a 5-star Head Chef

There is nothing more appealing than buying fresh ingredients and preparing a culinary meal while sipping on a tall glass of cabernet sauvignon.  The fulfilling feeling that rushes over you when you plate your fine creation is one of utter accomplishment and satisfaction.  The love and passion for cooking is often short lived when it is something that needs to be done every day, soon becoming mundane and boring.  But for a Head Chef the enthusiasm of conjuring up a scrumptious delight is an ongoing pleasure.  The amount of time and effort that goes into running a kitchen is something that many take for granted when frequenting a restaurant but appreciation for this demanding profession can be found in spending the day in the life of a 5-star Head Chef.

The Black Bamboo restaurant at The Menlyn Boutique Hotel is managed by Head Chef Pellie Grobler who shares some insight into what a typical day in his shoes entails.  Pellie strongly believes that balance is the key to success and it is for this reason that he maintains a hobby of cycling in the mornings before starting his day.  “I usually arrive at work at 7h30am and my day starts in the kitchen where I catch the last end of the breakfast run,” Pellie explains.

“Once breakfast is finished, I attend to admin which involves ordering stock for the week and managing the current stock that we have,” Pellie says.  “What most people don’t realise is that being a Chef is not only about cooking, but it involves a vast amount of planning so every spare opportunity that I have I dedicate to meal and menu planning.”

Lunch time preparation at The Black Bamboo begins at 11h30am and Pellie caters for hotel and conference guests.  “After lunch I devote more time to admin and I try see our suppliers between 14h00 and 15h30.  Meeting with suppliers is vital in this industry, it is good to maintain relationships and to discuss feedback from guests,” he explains.

“As I spend most of my time at the restaurant, my wife pops in after she finishes work to have a quick cup of coffee with me before I start preparing for the dinner service at 18h00pm,” he says.  Monday to Wednesday Pellie leaves the restaurant at 23h00pm but Thursday to Saturday are the restaurants busiest nights so Pellie often leaves at around midnight. 

“Being the Head Chef of such a fine 5-star establishment is an honor but it comes with its own challenges,” Pellie explains.  “I think the most challenging aspect is trying to accommodate everyone, so it is finding a balance between managing requests and maintaining the fine-dining element.  The best advice that I could give to up and coming chefs who are aspiring to be Head Chefs is to have a no compromise mind set, never let any food leave the kitchen if it’s not 100 % up to standard, you are only as good as your last dish.” he concludes.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Designs Live 2016 inspires Responsible Living In its seventh year, Grand Designs Live now brought to you by Black+Decker, has proven to be the leading contemporary home, design and garden show in South Africa. Every year legions of fans return to the event, inspired by its informative, innovative and interactive nature, and keen to learn about the latest trends, both locally and abroad.   And this year is going to be better than ever before because Media 10 is now running the show, and DIY king Black+Decker has come on board as title sponsor. Think of it as a fresh lick of paint, a move that will inject new, exciting energy into this incredible institution, keeping all the things you’ve fallen in love with over the years, but expanding the scope and experience. And what better way to kick off this new direction than by aligning this year’s theme with a cause that should be dear to all of us: Responsible Living. As conscious consumers it is now impe...
Post a Comment
Read more
#UnfollowTheNorm this summer with smart and Zando Zando – South Africa’s leading ‘one-stop online shopping fashion store’ takes the latest high fashion runway trends and sources the best ready-to-wear collections, ensuring fashionistas have the latest fashion at their fingertips. Today on Zando users will find something a little out of ordinary, something much smarter and more useful than a new pair of high heels but still for much the same price.  Mercedes-Benz now introduces the new and funky smart forfour car directly onto the pages of Africa’s largest online retailer – a first for South Africa. Selvin Govender, Marketing Director of Mercedes-Benz cars says, “Our smart range of vehicles appeals to a trendier and more connected online audience, and introducing the new smart forfour to these digital natives in an online shopping environment, where they would least expect to be exposed to it, would be a unique experience.”  “More important...
Post a Comment
Read more
Top 10 Factory Shops in Johannesburg  Everyone loves a good factory shop trawl and nothing beats the buzz of getting your favourite brands at crazy reduced prices. But tracking down the very best outlet and factory shops in Johannesburg can be a bit of mission which is why the WomenStuff team has put together a definitive list of some of the top clothing, furniture, homeware and food factory shops in all of Joburg. Take a look at our Top 10 list of factory shops and outlet stores in Johannesburg below. 1. Coricraft Clearance Store – Randburg The Coricraft factory store is the ideal place to shop for beautiful Coricraft pieces at a fraction of the price. The stores stocks everything from small decorative pieces to dining room tables, couches and more and they are always receiving new stock. Most of the stock in the store is out of season stock that needed to leave the flagship stores to make way for new collections but you will also find some soiled goods and goods with...
Post a Comment
Read more