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THE food and beverage industry can be intimidating for some of the most experienced chefs and restaurant managers.
Add to that ever-changing food trends and palates, while being a woman rising through the ranks in a professional kitchen, and you may be facing a different set of challenges.
These three women have broken the mould of the maledominated hospitality industry and are running kitchens like well-oiled machines in three popular Cape Town hotels. Letisha Diedericks, the supervisor at Tobago’s Restaurant, Bar and Terrace at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the V&A Waterfront, started at the hotel 13 years ago as a barista.
Since then she has risen through the ranks from waitress to pool supervisor, to her current position.
Diedericks says she draws her strength and motivation from the team she works with.
“You have to be passionate about what you do and you need to love every moment. Guests can feel if you do,” she says.
“I also love interacting with For Hamit, the head chef at Peninsula All Suite Hotel in Sea Point, entering the culinary world was a “terrifying experience” and a great concern for her family.
But the chef said it was the white chef’s jacket that drew her in.
“I fell in love with the white uniform and when I was on the outside looking in, it always looked so glamorous. To survive in this industry, you are either insane or passionate.”
“A concern for my family was me being a Muslim woman in this industry.”
Hajiera said although she was “petrified at first”, giving up was never an option.
“What made it difficult for me is that I was the ‘short chick’ from the Cape Flats, walking into kitchens where there were predominantly white men. I was a little intimidated, but because of my fighting spirit, I knew this is where I belong. Giving up was not an option because I knew my mother sacrificed a lot so I could be here. I didn’t grow up rich and we were five people in the house with just my father’s salary.
“They made that sacrifice for me, so I had to bite the bullet.” our regular returning guests by remembering the small details and surprising them on their next trip with the breakfast done just the way they like it.”
With the demands that come with leading a team and making sure things run smoothly, Diedericks says she has mastered the art of multitasking.
“I have grown into an individual that can take on everything, multitasking where I can juggle between different guests’ requests and my team’s needs, and still make guests’ dreams come true.”