CHEF PROFILE

Exciting new flavours for Carnival City

“I am just a young man who came from a small village, who wants to make a name for himself and his family.”

As a child, Mthatha-born Mahle Mihlali Vellem would sit on the kitchen counter for hours, watching his mother prepare meals, little knowing that her passion would become his and that one day he would be doing the same for thousands of guests at Sun International hotels.

“The way that I got into the industry was very unusual. At first, I loved watching my mom cook all different kinds of food — I was intrigued. Then, when I started going out to restaurants, I was curious as to how they could turn such simple ingredients into spectacular and mouth-watering dishes. I also used to watch street vendors preparing different kinds of street food, which I wanted to elevate,” Mahle said.

“After school, I enrolled at the HTA School of Culinary Arts, where I had an opportunity to polish my skills, graduating two years later with a diploma in professional cookery, ”Mahle said. This 29-year-old executive sous chef joined Carnival City & Entertainment World on 1 June 2024. He is currently responsible for running back-of-house for the kitchens in the hotel, casinos, Salon Privé, banqueting, and staff canteen, with three sous chefs reporting to him.

His goals for the next five years are to make a name for himself in the industry and become an executive chef at a luxurious establishment. Other goals include becoming a published recipe book author, and a brand ambassador for a local food brand.

Mahle said: “I believe in flavour, so that is always important when I create dishes. There are certain items on the menu that are close to my heart, as they remind me of my family, such as the fileto (a pasta dish), salmon poke bowl, Korean chicken poke bowl, and smoked salmon and smashed avocado.”

Fresh out of cooking school, Mahle was hired at Sun International’s Time Square in Pretoria, in 2017, as a chef de partie. “Being part of the opening team of Time Square was a huge opportunity for someone just starting out in their career,” Mahle said.

At the Pretoria gaming and entertainment hub, Mahle worked his way up to sous chef and ran two restaurants under the guidance of chefs Adrian Vaughan, Nonkosi Vellem, and Jaco Truter. “They taught me a lot about how an operation works, how to deal with staff, and set me on my leadership path.”

His most recent posting was to set up the restaurant at Sun City’s new luxury Leloko Villas, where he had the opportunity to expand his creative juices. “I had to create the menu from scratch — playing around with flavour profiles and touching places in me that I did not know existed. When I look at the menu, I can proudly say I’ve done well, and I’m pretty sure my mentors would agree that they have done their job — now it’s my time to spread my wings and fly, showcasing what they taught me.”

Mahle said: “After four months of running Leloko, I then had an opportunity to run the Sun City Hotel, which was a massive step in the right direction, as the original Sun City hotel is very busy and demanding. This helped me build character as a leader over my three-month period there. I was then approached by Carnival City to be its executive sous chef, an opportunity I could not forego because it was another step up in my career and growth as a chef.”

“Now that I have established myself as a chef (and that I can cook, and cook well), my current position is actually less about cooking, and more about strategic thinking. I compile menus and recipes, manage budgets, and delve into the business side of the kitchen, and manage it and the people,” he said.

Mahle is spreading his wings wide across the Sun International group, gaining valuable culinary experience whilst also mentoring younger staff by teaching them new cooking methods. “I am proud to be succeeding on this journey that began with my mother, and hope to one day pass my passion for cooking on to my children.”

From a guest trends perspective, he said: “Many are going plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian, and so forth, due to health reasons.”

From an industry perspective, he said these are the current local trends:

• Commitment towards sustainable packaging.

• Rising cost of raw materials through recycling.

• Increased demand in ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages.

• Increased demand for ethically sourced food.

• Growth in carbon-neutral initiatives.

Relationally, Mahle said: “I am married to my lovely, beautiful wife, Lerato Bathabile Mtsweni. We have been married for a year. We have one child, a baby daughter, named Zoe Khanya Vellem.”

For leisure, he loves to watch football and read recipe books or recipes on the internet. “When I get the time, I also like to play some video games.”

His hobbies include playing rugby, reading comic books and listening to music.

Mahle said: “The youth tend to not have the knowledge and understanding of the industry. They enter F&B thinking it is like something they watch on TV, or that they will make it overnight. They first need to understand the fundamentals and values of the industry.”

Mahle’s advice for those wanting to become an executive sous chef, is: “You must always be focused, grounded, and do not let the power of your position go to your head. Learn as much as you can from the people around you, because you may never know what skills they possess, skills that you may need in the future.”

What is your signature dish?

My signature dish is garlic and herb marinated lamb cutlets, served with celeriac puree, rainbow carrots, charred baby onions, tenderstem broccoli, and citrus jus. It pairs beautifully with the 2010 Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste.

What trends are emerging in the conference industry with regard to food?

Healthy food in the industry has become more in demand. This also affects the conferencing industry. People are becoming more health conscious. For example, there is a trend for plantbased food.

What has remained constant in this industry?

The discipline, passion, drive, and hospitality fundamentals.

What is your favourite beverage?

Margarita and Corona.

What is your favourite food?

Pasta.

What is your pet hate?

When people who are not passionate about what they are doing. Procrastination, tardiness, laziness, gossip, poor planning and complaining. Rather show up passionate — because it translates the dishes you produce, and facilitates how your career will develop.

What is your great love?

My great love is my wife and daughter.