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Chef Profile | Charl Campher is the Executive Chef at the Riviera on Vaal Hotel & Country Club. This dynamic young chef received training at the prestigious Bellevue Park institute of Hotel Management and was recently nominated by the Vice Conseiller Culinaire and the Regional Bailli to judge the prestigious Jeunes Commis Rtisseurs (Young Cooks) competition. He belongs to the Chaine de Rtisseurs and can boast in saying that he has cooked for the likes of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.
Heres more about the face behind the food
What five ingredients are always in your kitchen?
Except for the basics like salt, pepper, onion and garlic I always have the following in my kitchen: basil, truffle oil, saffron, olive oil and Canadian Maple Syrup.
Why?
Canadian Maple Syrup
An absolute essential at breakfast or with dessert! Not only is Canadian Maple Syrup a great topping on a variety of pastries, it also adds tremendous flavour as an ingredient.
Basil
Basil brings excellent flavour to salads. The aroma is a complex mix of sweet and spicy with a strong fresh scent.
Truffle Oil
Olive oil gets a dose of truffle mushrooms! The oil absorbs the rich aroma and flavour of these pungent mushrooms, making it a delight to drizzle over salads or to use in sautee.
Saffron
I love the flavour of saffron and the colour it gives to a variety of dishes. My favourite is paella.
Where do you live? And what are your best things to do in the area?
We live in Three Rivers, Vereeniging. One of the best things to do in the area is a nice relaxing round of Pitch n Putt on a Sunday afternoon at the Riviera on Vaal Country Club. Afterwards we enjoy going for cocktails at Matthews Terrace Café.
Are you married, if so, to whom? Whats you favourite thing about your partner?
Yes, I am happily married to my beautiful wife Willene. She´s got a big heart when it comes to people and she knows what she wants in life. She´s a real go getter.
Do you remember the first dish you ever cooked professionally?
That was a long time ago. I worked at the Wilderness Hotel back then. We had to do a private function for then president, PW Botha. We had to prepare Waterblommetjie Stew. I was really nervous.
Do you have any embarrassing moments culinary or otherwise?
I was working at a hotel as Chef de Partie and I had to make Crepes Suzettes in front of our guests. While I was making it the handle of my pan broke off and I stood there speechless. Luckily the guests had a good sense of humour.
Tell me about your working environment?
I run a strict kitchen where everybody works together as a team. Some days the kitchen can really be a challenging environment. You have to be able to stay focused.
In your opinion what has been the most important food trend in the last five years? And Why?
People are more health conscious and this has changed their way of eating. Vegetables, fish and poultry are the healthier and more popular options. Organic food is also very popular. It´s good that people watch their eating habits in this day and age. Life has become very stressful.
What kitchen utensil can you not live without?
There are two: A Chef´s knife and a teaspoon
What ingredient do you not like? And why?
I hate Aromat. I just don´t like it, on second thought maybe its the colour.
Did you always want to be a chef? What else could you have been?
Yes, food has always been my passion. The freedom to take different ingredients and create a unique flavour and dish is the ultimate for me.
If I had to become something else I would have liked to be a paediatric ear specialist. I love children and I hate to see them suffer in any way.
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| Part of Zorgvliet Portfolio |
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