‘Habitual learner’ a
THERE’S NO STOPPING THIS ENTREPRENEUR. BRIDGET SHOBEDE OPENS UP TO ABOUT HER AMBITIONS AND HOW THERE ARE NO CEILINGS WHEN IT COMES TO LEARNING
WHEN you sit down and chat to Bridget Shobede in the country garden setting of the Two Acres up-market breakfast and lunch spot in Hillcrest, you get the feeling you are about to experience a Mary Poppins lift off.
You wouldn’t be far wrong. This 38-year-old foodie and apprentice wine host of Methode Cap Classique (MCC) bubbly is on a fairy-tale trajectory where dreams are made – and so many of them have come true.
“I’m still on my journey,” she says with a winning smile as we snatch a few minutes to talk before her next tasting. “Oh my gosh! I’ve got so much I want to do. Sometimes I think there is not enough time in my life to achieve everything. But I will have to make the time, because I won’t be happy if I don’t achieve my goals.”
Breathtakingly positive and refreshingly eloquent, Shobede has taken her academic consumer science knowledge to a new level, learning the A to Z of high-end bubbly under the tutorship of international wine and food specialist Kathleen Walsh.
On many days you will find her on duty at Two Acres Restaurant assisting with the classic flute serving presentations introducing guests to the elegant celebratory tastes of Simonsig Kaapse Vinkel, L’omarins Brut, Stellerust Clement de Lure and Steenberg 1682 Chardonnay Brut.
“I love the tradition and the history of these sparkling wines.
There is so much magic attached to them. I don’t think I will ever stop learning. I come from a strict family where alcohol was a no-no. So savouring the delicate taste of a quality bubbly is something that has grown on me over the years.”
When you understand Shobede’s roots, you’ll realise how far she has come from her baby roots in Swaziland to a small rural home near Port Shepstone where in the early days of growing up factional violence, the sounds of gunshots, were part of her life.
Today her world of sophisticated fine food and classic wines is a far cry from those bleak and uncertain years.
“Hardship teaches you many things about yourself,” she says. “You learn about the sacrifices people have made to get you to a higher level. That’s why I find this transformation so exciting. I think this is why I have not put any ceilings on where I want to go.”
So far she has been able to tick a number of boxes on her life’s “to do” list. “I was very lucky that after doing my matric at a secondary school in Port Shepstone some great opportunities came my way.”
Explaining that part of her journey, Shobede says that an offer to work as an au pair in Germany was just the beginning.
LIZ CLARKE
“My mother was wheelchairbound after a serious accident and received skills assistance from a volunteer group in Mariannhill.
Many of the volunteers were foreign. When my mother told the volunteers her daughter’s dream was to travel and do a gap year overseas, I got this amazing offer to work for a family in a small town near Dusseldorf.
“How lucky was that? To walk down Konigsallee, one of Europe’s most glamorous shopping streets and see beautiful shops like Gucci was heavenly.”
But that wasn’t the end of her dreams. Shobede used her savings to return to South Africa and enrol for a food and beverage diploma at the Durban University of Technology.
“Again God was on my side. After my diploma I was offered a training post at the Dusseldorf Holiday Inn. I spent six months gaining experience in the industry and of course improving my German.”
Back in South Africa, she again used her savings to enrol for B Tech degree in food and consumer science.
Shobede calls herself a “habitual learner” always wanting to know more.
Her next big milestone was completing her extra curriculum studies in hazard analysis and critical control points. This, she says, is about food safety and preventing biological, chemical and physical hazards entering the production process.
“From recent reports on food safety, we know how critical it is that the finished product is safe and how we must seek ways to reduce risks.”
While the finer points of champagne-style wines are still part of her longer-term learning, there are other projects waiting in the wings.
“In my spare time I have been making a range of sugar-free and gluten-free biscuits that would be suitable for diabetics and those on weight control programmes. Healthy eating is a big thing for me.”
lizclarke4@gmail.com