Ferndale’s chef d’oeuvre

Though one may never want too many chefs in their kitchen, if all those were whittled down to one, chef Kabelo Segone would be one of your best options.

Found training young chefs at HTA School of Culinary, Segone spends his days nourishing the minds of future local chefs. The Randburg Sun sat down with the chef to find who is the man behind that distinct chef’s hat.

As a 14-year-old boy, he would work and assist at a recreational club based in Rustenburg. “My passion for cooking developed at that tender age. I was smitten by food from the get go and my kitchen debut was actually at eight years old when I made a three-bean salad under the watchful eye of my mom,” he shared.

Now he has been a professional chef for the past 15 years who loves that the kitchen can provide a venue to store and prepare food that nurtures the mind, body and soul. “Without it, we would not survive.”

Segone’s favourite meals to prepare are by far the hearty ones such as oxtail cooked with red wine, finished with butter beans. For him, it is the time that goes into preparing such meals that deepens the love he has for it. ” I get to smell and taste the different stages of the cooking process.”
It’s Segone’s number one hero, his mother, who awoke in him the passion to cook. Although she may not be a trained chef, it’s her natural ability to know how to prepare these hearty meals that serve as a constant inspiration to him.

His industry of hospitality, travel and tourism is a competitive one and it places its customers at the heart of its operations as it works to deliver the best experience possible. The ever-changing technology is also changing the way chefs prepare and organise their kitchen. “I am, however, from the school of being traditional and knowing your basics so regardless of technology, I believe you need to be able to apply the basics and modify them as you learn and grow in this industry,” he explained.

To the next generation chefs, Segone encourages you to learn and master the basics first before trying new techniques. Coupled with that is a good attitude and work ethics while being respectful and courteous. “Being a chef means you are going to work long hours that means missing time with loved ones, special holidays and birthdays, so let your passion inspire you and keep you going, all hard work pays off and no matter how far you go, never stop learning.”