POLOKWANE – For Christo Hildebrand, landing a job in the hospitality industry happened purely by chance.
Christo was born in Boksburg but grew up in Benoni on the East Rand in Johannesburg. He completed two years’ national service in the army before pursuing a career in catering management. After completing his studies, he joined the police. However, working for the police did not suit his personality and he went on to work as a sous chef at the luxurious Carousel casino and entertainment world. “A sous chef is a chef who is the second in command in a kitchen and can be promoted to executive chef,” he explains.
This was not adventurous enough for Christo and he resigned from the Carousel and travelled to Zambia, Tanzania and Ireland where he gained invaluable experience and got to explore different cuisines. After a lengthy absence, Christo returned to the Carousel as executive chef before becoming the operations manager at The Protea Hotel Ranch Resort, a position he still holds today.
“Working in the hospitality industry is great as you get to work in different environments and various places,” he says.
He says he enjoys preparing curries, starters, main courses, as well as desserts.
His favourite meal is a juicy Mexican steak served with a grilled peach and mozzarella salad. Christo has had extensive pastry training, which is said to be the most challenging of all, given that creating pastry dishes requires patience and focus. He recalls the best pastry dish he has created. “A sour dough Guinness pie and Italian muffins with poached eggs, crispy bacon and Hollandaise sauce. The number one rule when working with pastry is to follow the recipe and make sure the pastry is handled the right way and kept at the right temperature,” he advises.
Being a chef is said to be one of the most stressful jobs in the world but Christo says the stress increases motivation in the kitchen. “It is a stressful environment but the pressure motivates you to meet your deadlines.
“When everything is over, a sense of calm comes over you in knowing you did a good job,” he says.
Christo’s hobbies include spending time in the outdoors, cycling and camping and when he is not working you’ll find him relaxing at home.
He says his parents are his role models as they provided him with a strong foundation and their full support. To aspiring chefs, Christo has the following advice: “Be passionate and keep on cooking”.
raeesak@nmgroup.co.za
