19 May 2015 | By Sun International
The Table Bay's Culinary Arts Program
“Everyone should be given a chance to shine.” This is the philosophy behind The Table Bay hotel’s culinary arts program, in which hands-on mentorship is building passionate chefs.
The Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge, sponsored by Cape Legends Fine Wines, is one of the hospitality industry’s major showcases of food and wine pairing. The multi-faceted challenge pairs chef and wine steward trainees from top hotels, under the guidance of the executive chefs and sommeliers, with the expertise of winemakers from Cape Legend wine estates. The end goal: culinary artistry.
At The Table Bay, Executive Chef Jocelyn Myers-Adams is currently mentoring Chef Aphelele Dlungana, while the hotel’s Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, Hilton Ruch, is mentoring Sergio Thysse. The Table Bay’s team is now gearing-up for the regional culinary arts program cook-offs in June.
Since its inception, The Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge has become recognised as a platform for highlighting the talent and expertise of trainees, and giving them an opportunity to shine. For The Table Bay, participating in the Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge forms part of the hotel’s commitment to uplifting, training, mentoring, and nurturing people.
“We consider our people to be our most important asset, and understand that we need to continually invest in them to ensure that they reach their fullest potential, and feel fulfilled and appreciated,” says Sherwin Banda, General Manager at The Table Bay.
According to Banda, qualified mentorship, focused staff development, and career path mapping have become an imperative for retaining good culinary talent in South Africa’s competitive hospitality sector, which like most sectors faces a skills shortage.
The 5-star hotel also recognises that passion and talent for culinary artistry need to be nurtured, particularly through the meaningful mentorship and on-the-job training so enthusiastically offered by the hotel’s senior chefs staff.
“There is no replacement for hands-on mentoring, especially with food and beverage. Our employees really start to shine when they are working with people they respect, people they can learn from, people who really care about helping them achieve their dreams. It is that glimmer in their eyes which says it all,” says Banda.
“We are extremely excited to see our team’s culinary artistry come to life at the cook-off!”
Do you have a passion for food? Tell us: what is your go-to meal when you want to show off you culinary artistry?