In The Kitchen –Ella Mthethwa

Food may have stolen Ella Mthethwa's heart, but it's the catering industry's early mornings and late nights that inspire her creations

How did you get into the catering industry? When I first moved to Joburg years back, I was fortunate to land a training job at Emperors Palace. It was very intense, but I learnt everything about working in the back kitchen to planning events. My love for food and events took off, and so did my dream of building my catering company, Angela's Kitchen.

What does your day involve? It really depends on the number of jobs I have. If it's a busy weekday, I wake up around 3 am to start prepping for breakfast, which needs to be delivered by 8 am. I then return to the kitchen to prepare for lunch, which is usually delivered by 12 pm. Soon afterwards, I go back to prepare and plan the following day's menu, then dash off to do extra groceries. Weekends are reserved for weddings or private parties. Sundays are my off days, where I mostly tackle my admin. What cooking style do you swear by? I love home cooking spruced up with the 'Ella touch'. I don't do takeaways, at all!

What is the most difficult part of your job? Not spending as much time with my family, especially on weekends. As a married woman, I've had to make my husband and family understand that I won't always be able to attend all family events and funerals due to work commitments. How do you unwind after a long day? I simply slip into a warm bubble bath, with a glass of crisp champagne.