One Thursday afternoon each month, the Naked Chefs gather under executive chef Dugald Paterson, to begin the mammoth task of feeding 160 residents from Elphin Lodge, Inyoni Creek and Tarentaal Village. The Inyoni Creek clubhouse opens on Friday morning for guests to enjoy a hearty meal served with lashings of camaraderie and good-natured banter.
Decked in chef’s hats bearing their names, and aprons complete with an appropriately positioned fig leaf, the nine chefs prepare, cook, serve and clear away plates – a labour of love considering the team’s average age of 77, and the fact that at R25 per two-course meal, they barely break even.
The tasty pub fare includes favourites such as cottage pie, bobotie, fish and chips, and Hungarian goulash, with each plate followed by a bowl of ice-cream and home-made chocolate sauce. At least 20 take-away meals are packed for those who cannot reach the clubhouse.
“We have become more daring with the menus, and have a loyal and satisfied clientele,” said chef Neil Garden, whose exacting standards have earned him the title, ‘the general’.
In addition to pub lunches, the Naked Chefs cater for St Patrick’s Day and a black-tie Valentine’s dinner, at which they don aprons emblazoned with hearts. The initiative has improved the men’s culinary skills no end, according to resident Pam Hadden.
“When they started, he could barely peel a potato. Now he knows his way around the kitchen,” she said of her husband, Arthur.
On a more serious note, the monthly lunch is some residents’ only social outing. For the eight guests from Tarentaal Village who join the Naked Chefs’ table each month, it is an opportunity to interact with their Rand Aid neighbours.
“There are so many lonely people in the villages,” said Paterson of those who have lost spouses and have children living far away.
“This initiative serves a most valuable purpose in terms of social interaction – bringing joy, meaning and meaningful relationships to all involved,” commented Zabeth Zühlsdorff, general manager for Rand Aid’s Services and Advance Division.
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