“Passion and talent for culinary art must be quickly identified,
skills constantly nurtured, and performance and innovation acknowledged through
effective employee development programmes. This is especially important in the
five-star environment. Employees should also be given opportunities to showcase
theirtalent and innovation on external platforms which recognize and reward
innovation in the culinary field. People should be given a chance to shine,”
says Sherwin Banda, the General Manager at The Table Bay.
He explains that people development is considered on an individual
basis at The Table Bay to ensure that each person’s needs are addressed and
individual career paths can be mapped based on what they want to achieve.
Employees are provided learning and further training opportunities through
various skillsdevelopment programmes. However, 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.
“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.
According to Banda, the hotel’s esteemed Executive Chef Jocelyn
Myers-Adams is currently mentoring Chef Aphelele Dlungana through his
participation in the Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge 2015. The hotel’s
Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, Hilton Ruch, is mentoring Sergio Thysse on
the wine steward element.
The Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge is one of the hospitality industry’s major showcases of food and wine
pairing, sponsored by Cape Legends Fine Wines. 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 leading Cape Legend wine estates. Since its inception, it has
become recognized as a platform for highlighting the talent and expertise of
trainees, and giving them an opportunity to shine. The Table Bay’s team is now
gearing-up for the regional cook-offs in June.
“Our participation in the Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge forms part of our commitment to
uplifting, training, mentoring, and nurturing our people. We are extremely
excited to see what our team comes up with for the cook-off,” says Banda.
Banda concludes: “In the culinary field, which has sadly become
shrouded by a lack of passion, we know that we must hold on to the exceptional
people working magic in our kitchens.”
“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.