“Qualified mentorship, focused staff development, and career path mapping are emphasised at The Table Bay to harness, nurture and retain culinary talent. It is through the mentorship and on-the-job training so enthusiastically offered by the hotel’s senior chefs staff that culinary teams benefit most meaningfully.
“We believe that employees should also be given opportunities to showcase their talent and innovation on external platforms like the Distell Inter Hotel Challenge which recognise and reward innovation in the culinary field. We are excited to have The Table Bay represented in this exciting challenge once again and we wish our candidates every success as they unleash their creativity in the series of workshops and cook-offs that lie ahead,” says Joanne Selby, general manager of The Table Bay.
The winning chef will enjoy a three-week internship with NH Hotels in Amsterdam while the winning wine steward will travel to London and then Scotland to visit Distell’s top distilleries. The overall winning Wine Steward will also receive a full bursary from Distell to attend the training courses from the South African Sommeliers Association. The Level Three SASA Advanced Sommelier training and examination is in conjunction with the ASI Diploma.
Both Dirks and Makani are excited about participating in the challenge.
“I feel honoured that my seniors have entrusted me to represent The Table Bay in the 2018 Distell Inter Hotel Challenge. It shows that they see potential in me. I look forward to the challenges that we will face in the coming weeks and believe that there are great opportunities for me to learn from them. This industry has so much to teach you if you just have the willingness to learn,” says Dirks.
“Participating in the Distell Inter Hotel Challenge will give me great exposure to different aspects of the food and beverage industry. I feel honoured to be competing in this competition as it opens another door for my development and growth. Being that it is my first time participating in the challenge, I am quite nervous but I am ready for the challenge and will make sure to do my homework,” says Makani.
This year’s challenge which culminates with the gala awards dinner takes place at the Belmond Nelson on 4 August 2018.
