I started cooking at 4 with my Ouma Violet. She showed me simple skills, Indian-influenced flavours, and how to respect ingredients. She could turn a backyard marrow into something memorable. That spark hooked me early.
In high school, I chose Hotel Keeping and Catering. I was one of two boys in a class of 14 and got teased for choosing cookery over woodwork, but I stuck with it.
Money was tight after school, so I couldn’t study right away. Then a family member sponsored me to attend the Swiss Hotel School, where I earned my Hotel Management Diploma.
I worked in the US, then joined the Saxon as a Demi Chef de Partie under Chef Rudi Liebenberg. He later called me to join him at the Mount Nelson in Cape Town. I took the opportunity and now lead the fine-dining restaurant and the main kitchen as Chef de Cuisine.
At the Mount Nelson, I won Unilever competitions, completed a stage at Le Manoir with Raymond Blanc, and represented South Africa at the Culinary Olympics in 2016 and again in 2020 as captain. I also develop recipes for Crush online magazine.
