Home Meal Replacement Chef - Crown National - Johannesburg
(2019-07)
Oversee culinary efforts involving preparation of distinctive Home Meal replacement chain supermarkets such as Pick n pay, Checkers, Spar and Food Lovers Market, Roots Grills, Kasi Chef Gills, Engen 360 cafes. Training in retail stores on how to cook meals (hot, cold and desserts) using Crown National 'So Good' product line. Helping stores to increase sales and have good tasting and visually appealing food on their counters, as well implementing HACCP and maintaining food safety plans, identifying critical control points, and ensuring compliance with regulations.
- HMR counters. Hosting training sessions for chain supermarkets such as Spar, PnP, Cheekers and Food Lover Market
- Participate in marketing events with high volume production such as sports events at Loftus stadium and National netball tournaments, catering for over 1500 people per day
- Facilitating demonstrators and store cooks at Crown National on how to use products
- Assisting in planning, food prep, and execution of a full deli counter for new and revamped stores
- Developing new recipes, menu planning, researching in which the 'So Good' range can be used
- Finding new innovative ways to use products in a variety of ways and developing new products (batch pack forms)
- Costing new recipes to ensure producing a certain dish will yield positive profit margins, which are the bottom line for most retailers
- Training demonstrations are done to encourage clients to buy and explore our products, thus assisting sales reps with securing sales and meeting monthly budgets
- Formally commended by Manager for significantly improving unique menu selections and presentations
- Streamlined kitchen operations by creating more accurate prep sheets, standardized recipe files, and product-rotation systems
- Enhanced employee retention and morale by tactfully promoting team environment, emphasizing guest relations, and instituting a positive means of dealing with stress in a high-volume operation
- As a demonstration Chef in HMR, I gained sales and marketing experience by promoting products and engaging customers, driving interest and sales through firsthand demos
- Work along side marketing team to create engaging content and promotional events
- Presentation to stakeholders, showcasing product benefits and building relationships
Pastry Chef - First National Bank - Johannesburg
(2019-02 - 2019-07)
Created and executed dessert menus, as well as managing inventory to minimize waste and optimized production to meet demand.
- Collaborate with Chef France Matamela on high volume events (3-4 course plated meals)
- Learned the craft of artisan bread, cakes, cookies, mush mellows and macaroons
- I was part of the code fest, which the kitchen runs 24/7, baking muffins, cookies, and puddings
- Creation and setting up of the dessert stations for lunch and dinner service
Private Chef - Self-Employed - Johannesburg
(2019-01 - 2022-12)
Catering to client requests as per events, anything ranging from Plated set menu, Buffet, Desserts table and snack platters. Food truck stalls at music, sports, and lifestyle events.
- Prospects: to pursue a Bachelor of Consumer Science Food and Nutrition
Commis Chef/Student - Various Businesses - Johannesburg
(2017-04 - 2018-07)
Daily duties as a commis/ student chef would include: doing all the prep work, be it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner service. Checking and cleaning of fridge and freezer and temperatures. Packing new stock (FIFO) and cleaning dry stores.
Throughout my experience as a Chef in training, I worked in a variety of departments (and at times had to run the section alone) such as Breakfast harvest table, cold kitchen, pasta and veg, fish grill section, hot kitchen, deli, sushi section, banqueting, pastry, the pass, and executive kitchen.
- Commis chef/student: Investec, Sandton- July 2018 - Working in banqueting kitchen and Executive kitchen
- Sectional management on employee canteen and a la cart restaurant
- Comis's chef/student: fifty-four on Bath, Rosebank –February 2018 - Worked in the cold, party, and banqueting kitchen
- prep and baking of High Tea components
- Commis chef/ student: Marble, Rosebank –September 2017 - Working in an open kitchen and learning to engage with guests at the chef's table
- Commis chef/student: Palazzo Hotel, Monti casino Fourways –April 2017 - Running cold kitchen solo
- Doing the dessert table for Tsogo Sun Executive team under the leadership of Chef Beverly Bogatsu
- Banquet cooking for international sports and entertainment industry guests
- Received regional recognition for being an adaptive person
- Given responsibility to prep, cook and serve in the executive kitchen for group CEO and Board members
- Continually received enthusiastic compliments from Executive Sous Chef and guests
Credit Administrator - Nedbank Retail - Johannesburg
(2011-06 - 2016-11)
I dealt with our department (Card Recoveries) suspense account Credit Administrator.
- Managed daily recons and transfers for and to clients' accounts, preparing the general ledger daily
- Dealing with attorneys (such as VVM, Trevor Jagard, Smit Jones, and Pratt) my duties involved dealing with clients' accounts that had been written off by our Card Collections department, confirming settled accounts, closures and sending updates to Credit Bureaus
- Daily monitoring of accounts in arrears, referrals to attorneys for collections and sending of relevant letters informing clients of the Banks intention
- Monthly clean-up of dormant accounts, deceased, sequestrated accounts. Daily setoffs were done on these account accounts to increase monthly recoveries. I initiated personal arrangements with clients who were willing to pay off or plan for payments on their accounts
- I assisted clients with final arrangements (over R100k) in my previous department (Card Collections), analyzing their full income and expenditure to ensure best decision is taken both for the bank and client
Late Shift Outbound Call Center Agent - Nedbank Card Collections - Johannesburg
(2009-01 - 2011-12)
