THE PRESIDENTIAL MEAL
Chef Cheryl hopes her career takes off after recently leading a team that whipped up something
Not everyone in the culinary industry can proudly say: my team and I have had the honour of whipping up a meal for the first citizen of the country.
A privilege that is only reserved for the lucky few, there is one such young lady who recently had that opportunity. A go getter, and not one to shy away from any challenge thrown her way, and the Chef in question is none other than, Chef Cheryl Kereng.
A graduate of the Gaborone College of Culinary Arts, Kereng is dreaming big when it comes to her journey in this fast paced industry. Kereng holds a Certificate in Food Preparation and Cooking from GCCA, and she graduated in 2021. Today, she works as a Sous Chef at the hip and happening Park 27, a role that she has embraced with both arms. In her role as a Sous Chef, she is basically deputising the Head Chef. Her duties include sending out orders to the floor, ordering stock, as well as management of the kitchen. One of the dishes that she is best known for happens to be a delectable breakfast dish of Salmon and Avocado, which she swears is cooked with love and passion. The dish comprises of ingredients that include cheese, shredded salmon, poached eggs, and a Hollander sauce.
“It is different from the usual or even the home breakfast that we are used to. It has different textures, and is crunchy. It has salt from the cottage cheese, and then you have the avocado. It is fresh and is something that you don’t usually have for breakfast,” explains Kereng.
So, how did her team get to cook for President Masisi? She explains that when it comes to cooking in her current role, she only cooks on special occasions such as when there are dignitaries or a special event. On the special day when she cooked for the President, she had whipped a Tomahawk Steak, which was pan seared, with this crisp texture and was finished with garlic and butter.
“He was at the restaurant for dinner,” she explains, noting that the success of that meal was a group effort. “He loved it so much, and told us that it is better than McDonalds,” she adds. Her craze when it comes to cuisine has to be Botswana cuisine. She wants to change the way that Batswana and the world see and experience this cuisine. In her experiments, she works in transforming and uplifting the cuisine; she also seeks to give its presentation a professional, polished look, matched with an outstanding taste. “I want to transform these dishes and give them a gastronomy touch,” she explains during an interview with this publication, noting that she wants to make the diverse local ingredients shine and take center stage.
She also highlights that whenever she gets an opportunity, she always goes all out when it comes to showcasing Botswana’s beef. One of her dishes when it comes to local, happens to be a Seswaa burger.
Besides the local cuisine, she has a great love for Italian cuisine, which she was first introduced to when she was working as a waitress. Dishes and ingredients such as fresh dough for dishes such as pasta and pizza, which the Italians are well known for are some of the things that are appealing with this cuisine.
Kereng is very well aware of the fact that for one to stay relevant they need to embrace trends, and advantage of any opportunity that comes her way. It is on this background that she is eyeing any opportunity that comes her way. “If an opportunity comes, I would love to have international standards and recognition,” she explains, highlighting that she is always ready to challenge herself.