PAGE STRAP CHEF’S PROFILE
Peter Anderson — ‘don’t stop caring’ Peter Anderson, 52, executive head chef at Lagoon Beach Hotel, Conference Centre and Spa Cape Town, strives to exceed guests’ expectations.
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riginally from Liverpool, England, Peter moved all over the UK as a child. He also lived and went to school in Saudi Arabia. After school, he studied hotel and catering with City and Guilds, at Burton on Trent Catering College. Peter has worked in the hospitality industry for 37 years and has been lucky enough to have travelled and worked not only in South Africa, but also Australia, New Zealand, Dubai and Europe. “I started working in a pub kitchen that my family had taken over when I was 15 before going to college. After college I worked for THF at the Post House Hotel in Heathrow before coming to Cape Town when I was 19,” he said. Before joining Lagoon Beach Hotel, Peter worked at the Mount Nelson, The 24 Business Events Africa July 2022
Marine Hotel and The Alphen Hotel. In terms of personal goals, he said: “This is a difficult question after what the hospitality industry has gone through, and is still going through, since the pandemic. I’d like to see the industry get back to what it was. My main goal is to make the guests happy, that’s something that will never change.” Peter added: “Currently, we are still climbing out of the pandemic hole, but with the war in Europe, food prices and shortages are having a terrible effect financially on both hoteliers and clients. The shortage of qualified and professional staff after losing so many during the lockdown. Within South Africa, we have our own challenges but the amazing thing about the country is the people and their ability to overcome.”
Peter said that he enjoys being a chef because no two days are the same and he gets to work with an amazing group of people. Looking at local food and beverage trends, he said: “Over the years, I’ve seen the rise and fall of nouvelle cuisine and everything in-between. People over the years have become more aware of what they are eating, more health conscious and more aware of dietary needs. There also seems to be a push towards nostalgia, with people wanting the flavours and taste of their youth.” Globally, Peter said: “A more engaged consumer basis and the use of social media. Also, the catering industry is becoming high tech and modernised in the way it operates. Food seems to be going in two ways, a demand for health and ethical alternatives including www.businesseventsafrica.com
