Page 17 - Through the eyes of an African chef

Sanibonani – Hello!
I’M NOMPUMELELO MQWEBU – my friends call me Mpume. Welcome to my book. I am an experienced and enthusiastic chef who has cooked in various parts of the world, but my roots are firmly in Africa. I have a passion for African cooking, which I hope to share with you.
My cooking career began in my homeland of KwaZulu-Natal where, after passing my City and Guilds of London exam in 2006, I was privileged to work at various excellent venues, including Janet’s Restaurant and Zimbali Lodge. Executive Chef Nicholas threw me in the deep end by placing me in charge of the cold kitchen within just three weeks of me joining the lodge!
I went on to represent eThekwini Municipality at the inaugural ‘Taste of Chicago’, where I cooked for the then-Mayor Dayle’s gala dinner. I was also hosted by Doris and James Lowry at Illinois Institute of Arts in Chicago, where I cooked dinner with Chef John Meyer of the Illinois Restaurant Association. I was also fortunate to represent South African food at Germany’s Bremen Global Championship at Sporgaten.
In 2012, I went to Ballymaloe Organic Farm and Cookery School in Ireland to learn other cooking methods, but mostly to quench my thirst for knowledge about sustainable food and farming. This was to be a pivotal point in my life. The practical sense of supporting the local produce and living the organic way was an educational experience that prompted further food travels to Majorca, Milan, Paris and the UK, learning about different ingredients, cultures, markets and trends.
In October 2013, I represented South Africa at the ‘South Africa Season in France’ cooking event at Paris’s Les Grandes Tables du 104, where I presented authentic South African cuisine in fine dining style. I spent the rest of 2013 and 2014 exploring the food and culture in New York’s Manhattan, Brooklyn, Harlem, Queens and Chinatown areas. During this period, I participated as a judge of the ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014/15’ organised by William Reed Business Media.
I returned home with much to share, so I immersed myself into culinary mentorship and food events through Mzansi International Culinary Festival (MICF), which I started in 2014, and through my current venture, Africa Meets Europe Cuisine (Pty) Ltd. This is a company through which we cater for private events, engage in food writing, as well as the training and mentoring of junior chefs and women farmers.
THROUGH THE EYES OF AN AFRICAN CHEF
15