Hi Food Lovers!
Thanks so much for visiting. I just want to thank Meghan for a wonderful introduction. She is not only someone I have worked with but a true friend of mine who is very dear to my heart, I love you Bell!
So as you know and for those of you that don’t, I have taken on the challenge of making the craziest wedding cake Cape Town has seen to date. Not only is the Wedding an OTT reality radio show by Heart 104.9fm, but it is celebrating the Unity of a gay couple that are to meet each other on their wedding day on the 26th March 2011. I know...right?
The opportunity was presented to me whilst checking out the Bridal Convention recently held at Canal Walk Shopping Centre. I was put in touch with the station and after a meeting and a few emails I agreed to take on this monumental task of a 250 portion wedding cake as well as taking on custom designing the OTT Cake stand to hold this giant of a pastry.
So as you know and for those of you that don’t, I have taken on the challenge of making the craziest wedding cake Cape Town has seen to date. Not only is the Wedding an OTT reality radio show by Heart 104.9fm, but it is celebrating the Unity of a gay couple that are to meet each other on their wedding day on the 26th March 2011. I know...right?
The opportunity was presented to me whilst checking out the Bridal Convention recently held at Canal Walk Shopping Centre. I was put in touch with the station and after a meeting and a few emails I agreed to take on this monumental task of a 250 portion wedding cake as well as taking on custom designing the OTT Cake stand to hold this giant of a pastry.
Many people ask what it is that I do and it is a very difficult question to give a short answer to. I have been exposed to many opportunities since starting at Silwood Cookery School back in 2007. Some of which have been more enjoyable than others but where I have found my passion lies is in expanding my own experiences and knowledge through adventures and challenges that are presented to me along the way.
For example, in 2009 I departed South Africa for the 1st time since obtaining my diploma and an STCW’ 95 Marine fire fighting and first aid course. The plan was get to the Mediterranean in the hopes of finding a job on a private yacht working in a galley. Sounds great...it wasn’t. I was advised by a certain company here in Cape Town to go to the Med and work in the off season, November time. This was an easy move considering my wonderful father blessed me with an ancestral red passport of her majesty’s finest, so getting to Europe would be a breeze. It was when I got there and started networking and handing out my CV that I got the confused looks from agencies as if to say “WTF are you doing here?”.
Rumour has it that due to the recession there were no Jobs available and even Michelin star chefs were being given the boot, for the off season. So in a ripe panic, and with my tail between my legs I decided to go over to London, UK. For the sake of ease and an adventurous social life I fell out of the kitchen scene all together when I got there. I worked for a company doing sales representation for corporations such as Sky television and Orange business mobile. It was fun working the normal hours and earning a decent basic with an even more decent commission but ultimately I was not where I wanted to be in terms of my career. I managed this for 6 months before the boredom got to me and I had to move.
Rumour has it that due to the recession there were no Jobs available and even Michelin star chefs were being given the boot, for the off season. So in a ripe panic, and with my tail between my legs I decided to go over to London, UK. For the sake of ease and an adventurous social life I fell out of the kitchen scene all together when I got there. I worked for a company doing sales representation for corporations such as Sky television and Orange business mobile. It was fun working the normal hours and earning a decent basic with an even more decent commission but ultimately I was not where I wanted to be in terms of my career. I managed this for 6 months before the boredom got to me and I had to move.
My move at this point was based on many aspects. I had a girlfriend at the time, who was/is also a young and extremely talented chef. We got a job together working in a pub (www.timewellspent.info) on a manager/chef couple basis. We agreed between us that she would tackle the kitchen and I would try out the new aspect of FOH. I was happy to expand my ever so adventurous repertoire of experience so it wasn’t a hard move.
We lasted there for 3 months before a culmination of relationship, work & financial frustrations, as well as missing the World cup 2010 here in SA, became too much to handle and we decided to return to SA.
After together managing a catering company in Nelspruit we realised that working together was not really conducive to a successful relationship so work-wise we went in different directions . I started freelancing as a wedding and novelty cake creator. One of which was for the re-branding of the Orange restaurant in Nelspruit (see below) that was headed by my girlfriend at the time.
From that came the referral to do the rendition of Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland cake. This was a very stressful yet exhilarating cake to do. I was trapped by my own imagination, that was running wild with me. The design I pitched was over the customers budget but I still wanted to do the design so to the best of my ability I did the cake within a very tight budget.
From that came the referral to do the rendition of Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland cake. This was a very stressful yet exhilarating cake to do. I was trapped by my own imagination, that was running wild with me. The design I pitched was over the customers budget but I still wanted to do the design so to the best of my ability I did the cake within a very tight budget.
So once done with Alice and her entourage I came down to Cape Town to work as Private chef to a wealthy international family whilst they Holidayed over 2010/2011’s beautiful new year’s summer. It was a tough job which had me going far beyond the call of duty to please this wonderful yet intense family that I was working for. It presented amazing and heartfelt opportunities such as cooking for and meeting the understated yet legendary F. W. De Klerk.
Whilst I was house-sitting their opulent mansion in Kalk bay I started assisting the food editor at Top Billing on a number of occasions for work in the March and April editions of the Top Billing Magazine. This was when I knew that I wanted to manage my own life and work how I want to work.
I travelled inland over Valentine’s day of 2011 to the small yet Beautiful town of Clanwilliam. Remember Meghan? Her mom owns the most incredible guesthouse called “The Yellow Aloe” (www.yellowaloe.co.za), a holiday destination of epic magnitude.
I was asked to design a 3 course Valentine’s Day dinner menu as well as teach the staff how to manage a higher level of catering standard and expand their general knowledge of the kitchen. This was interesting considering the head chef was in her eighth month of pregnancy...but I was taken aback by their overwhelming dedication and how easy it was to teach them and this developed into a feeling of intense joy within myself to be passing on knowledge to others who would use it to thoroughly better their own lives.
I was asked to design a 3 course Valentine’s Day dinner menu as well as teach the staff how to manage a higher level of catering standard and expand their general knowledge of the kitchen. This was interesting considering the head chef was in her eighth month of pregnancy...but I was taken aback by their overwhelming dedication and how easy it was to teach them and this developed into a feeling of intense joy within myself to be passing on knowledge to others who would use it to thoroughly better their own lives.
So where do I stand at the moment, I am not yet settled but I am most certainly busy. After I complete this cake of epic proportions, I intend to visit Clan William again to run a short cooking course. I have also been graced with the wonderful opportunity of going to work temporarily in the Seychelles over the Easter period of 2011. I should be back in Cape Town by mid-may and I am hoping that you will watch this space to see where I might end up. I have enjoyed spending this time with you and I appreciate you giving me the time by reading about me and my experiences.
Here are a few picture of my work that will hopefully tell a few more words than I have time to write.
Extreme Cake Creations:
Alice in Wonderland Novelty Cake:
Mad Hatters Hat: White Choc & macadamia brownie.
Cat: Alternating layers of chocolate & vanilla Madeira sponge cake with Nutella ganache and brulee Italian meringue icing.
Mushroom & teacup: Decorative with nitrogen special effects.
No comments:
Post a Comment