Promotion
Catering for an event can be the make or break of it. Caterer chef Franz de Waal is proud of his company’s standing in the hospitality industry.
Aman of many talents, including helicopter pilot, chef Franz De Waal of Hashtag Hot Caterers believes his passion for food started at school. As a teenager, he worked in late-night fast-food outlets in Hillbrow and in Sandton coffee shops. These stints entrenched his love of food and for the hospitality industry — he turned it into a career.
Self-taught chef De Waal’s greatest inspiration is chef Marco Pierre White, who ran Michelin star restaurants in the UK. De Waal believes that no matter what cooking school or class you attend, with food you either have it, or you don’t. “Highly rated chefs around the world have a sixth sense when it comes to food — from making a simple toasted sandwich to a gastronomic masterpiece,” he said.
“If you love food and have that unique cooking genius, you can become the best.”
His catering company, based in
Joburg (Hashtag Hot Caterers caters country-wide), has operated for over a decade. De Waal’s company will cater for anything from private events of 15 people to corporate events of 15,000 — and he’s honoured to be on many of Joburg’s event venues’ preferred catering lists, which enhances his drive to make every event a success.
De Waal has an operating interest in the recently established Empire Conference and Event Venue in Parktown, which hosts top events in a uniquely designed venue with an adjoining convention centre and a rooftop feature that offers one of the best views of the Johannesburg city centre and surrounding areas. It also features a state-of-the-art catering kitchen designed to De Waal’s specifications.
His other event-based company is RoomFive Function Venue in
Rivonia, Sandton, which has been running for over five years and has hosted many prestigious events. De Waal’s catering list reads like a Who’s Who — it is vast and includes luminaries like the late Nelson Mandela and his family, Desmond Tutu and Albertina Sisulu. De Waal, a great music lover, is also proud to list many Hollywood and international music stars as clients.
Hashtag Hot Caterers www.hashtaghotcaterers.com,
011 234 8724
RoomFive Function Venue events1@roomfive.co.za, 011 234 8723 Empire Conference Venue info@empirevenue.co.za, 011 340 9535