Dereck Nair Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

Professional Chef - Integrative Nutrition Health Coach - City & Guilds Culinary Arts Advanced Diploma - HDE in Education

With over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Dereck draws from a wealth of knowledge gained in numerous countries and types of operations ranging from classical fine dining hotels and restaurants to executive corporate hospitality.

Having cooked professionally internationally, Dereck brings a world of experience, recipes, and techniques to your table. A Graduate of the original Christina Martin School of Food and Wine, City & Guilds of London Advanced Diploma in Culinary Arts, and the International Hotel School Royal Hotel, Dereck began his professional culinary career as an apprentice to Christina Martin. Dereck rose to become sous-chef at the Five Star establishment; The Three Ships Restaurant Johannesburg, then Executive Sous chef at The Saxon Hotel, Johannesburg. Dereck worked internationally, as Executive Sous Chef at O'Connell's in Dublin, Ireland, also as Executive Sous and then Executive Chef at North-Island, Seychelles. With a passion for food and hospitality, Dereck travelled to the Mediterranean, India and other South East Asian countries to taste and experience the best hospitality and culinary destinations in the world.

Dereck returned to SA and established the Rand Merchant Bank Catering Department, where he worked for 9 years until 2013. Dereck started his own chain of health food cafes servicing some of the more prominent medical centres  in northern Johannesburg. Dereck was then recruited to fine tune the executive hospitality at Nedgroup head offices in Sandown and also consulted and facilitated nutrition and wellbeing talks throughout Nedgroup..

Looking at food from a more functional perspective Dereck started studying at the largest nutrition school in the world - The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York where he graduated in March 2019 and specialised as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.  It's not good enough to cook good looking food plates. What that food does in the body and or generations to come is what counts today. Food is medicine and chefs are the doctors of nutrition and future health care.

With this in mind I believe it is my life's purpose and direction to partner with people in need of guidance in achieving their wellness and health goals through an integrative approach which includes physical movement, nutrition, spirituality and personal relationships.

As an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, I take all my life development and skill sets and package it into my service, as one of a supportive mentor who helps clients feel their best through food and lifestyle changes and personalized, one-on-one encouragement. To live a vibrant life, we all need holistic support. And as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, that guidance and accountability – from exercise and nutrition to relationships, career, and spirituality – is exactly what I offer my clients.

Exec Chef - Discovery Vitality 2020-2022

Exec Chef - Nedbank Ltd Headoffice 2018-2022

Chef Owner - Cafelite Pty LTD - 2013-2018

Exec Chef - Rand Merchant Bank 2005-2013

Exec Chef - North-Island Seychelles 2003-2005

Exec sous chef - Saxon Hotel Jan-Dec 2002

Exec Sous chef - Oconnells group 2000-2002

Advanced Diploma Culinary Arts - Distinction, City & Guilds London 1998

International Certified Nutrition Health Coach - IHAC May 2023

Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Institute for Integrative Nutrition - New York 2018

WSET - Wine and Spirits Educational Trust - Level 1&2, 2011-2012

Professional Chef Training, Christina Martin School of Food and Wine, 1996-1999

HDE Education, UKZN 1991-1995