Olwethu Hermanus

  I am an Ambitious Commis chef with an International Diploma in Culinary Arts. I am Trained in various cuisines in basic and advanced cooking techniques. I am Passionate about attention to detail in food preparation and presentation.  I take direction well and am an eager fast learner. I work efficiently and safely and  strive for top execution in all I do. I love exploring in flavor, technique and in life in general.

After a year of studies towards an International Diploma in Culinary arts, I acquired an Internship at St. Francis Links, which gave me the opportunity to gain experience in a fast paced and high-performance demanding kitchen as well as mass fine dining catering events such as weddings, golf tournaments etc. I also have experience in Hosted events as I have been a part of the team which hosted a food and wine pairing for Hill and Dale wines at The Hussar Grill mid-year 2020. I have also had the opportunity to co-head a kitchen in my time at Road Lodge Port Elizabeth, which has taught me immensely on leadership, teamwork and food and kitchen management.  

My passion and knowledge for food grew tremendously in my time as an assistant chef for the world-renowned pastry chef Ralph Gottschalk alongside Chef Erika Grebe hosted cooking classes in various cuisines. I have also been introduced to advanced culinary and pastry such as Gastronomy, Sugar (sugar pulling etc.) Chocolate, Confectionery and Charcuterie. Furthermore, Recently I have had the opportunity to work for and under the watchful eye of 2 Michelin Star world-renowned chef Conrad Gallagher in the successful reopening of Off The Menu Food Emporium Port Elizabeth, were I learnt executing at the highest level under pressure. 

In 2020 I enrolled at the South African Academy of Culinary Arts where I acquired an International Diploma in Culinary Arts.