Meet Heloise Smit!
Heloise is the brand new Executive Chef at The
Rockwell.
She started with the company just 9 weeks ago and has hit the
ground running! Trained at Silwood School of Cookery, Heloise graduated in the
top five in 2009 – not surprising as she had done part of her internship at the
Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town’s grande dame, and later spent a year doing
in-service training in the prestigious kitchen of Veronica Hibbert at Ellerman
House, one of the world’s leading art hotels.
As the most luxurious hotel on
the Atlantic Seaboard, it also has a reputation for fine dining using quality
produce, with meals often enjoyed outdoors in one of the Cape’s most beautiful
settings overlooking the ocean. Heloise also gained experience at Dish Food and
Social, one of Cape Town’s leading catering and events companies, and then
worked under Chef Franck Dangereux at The Food Barn – a well-known landmark in
the coastal village of Noordhoek.
But her secret passion has always been
baking… something she learnt as a child while spending many hours in the
kitchen with her aunt on their family farm. Beginning by licking out the mixing
bowls and then gradually mastering cake icing, it was here that her love of
baking was born.
Heloise’s favourite thing about her job is dealing with
people and making them happy. She loves to cook and she also loves the
challenges and opportunities that come with starting the brand new restaurant
at The Rockwell. She says : “I may not own the restaurant but it is
mine!” She is excited to take The Rockwell’s food and beverage areas to
the next level.
Her least favourite part of being a chef is never having
weekends off and the sometimes VERY long hours – but that comes with the
territory!
Heloise has met a lot of guests and enjoys giving
recommendations about what to do in Cape Town and where to eat. She is
the hotel’s self-appointed “food concierge”. With many guests
staying for 4 – 6 weeks, good advice on where to eat is always welcome.
So far, the highlight of Heloise’s weeks at The Rockwell has
been having the Mad Max Crew in the Steelworx Bar one Sunday afternoon.
They were playing a variety of instruments and singing and just generally
having a great time. The ambience was fantastic!
Heloise’s life motto is: "Live in the moment. Keep trying, and
do your best".
Next week, we will share Heloise’s exciting plans for The
Rockwell. Watch this space.
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