CHEF’S PROFILE
Danielle Adams – making simple food really good Meet Danielle Adams, one of the Western Cape’s rising young food stars who, at the tender age of 24, has been appointed head chef at Cassia Restaurant, which is based at the Nitida Wine Farm in the Durbanville Valley.
D
anielle, who hails from Kuils River in the southern suburbs of Cape Town, has always had an affinity for food and the emotions and memories certain dishes may invoke. “There are distinctive flavours and aromas I still remember smelling as a child; such as my grandma’s braaied lamb chops. I grew up observing a lot of cooking and baking, my grandma baked from home as a source of income. I was constantly at the table watching her prepare pastry from scratch, baking cakes and waiting for tasters. “As a teenager I enjoyed preparing meals for my family and as I matured it
became my passion, my stress reliever and my happy place. Throughout high school, cooking helped me deal with exam anxiety. I recall how I would prepare a meal or make a dessert before studying, because being in the kitchen calmed me and helped me clear my mind.” After matriculating, Danielle’s consumer studies subject was the lowest mark on her certificate, but that didn’t stop her from pursuing her career path and in 2015 she began studying at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s (CPUT) Hotel School in Granger Bay. “It was a three-year course which required me to participate in workintegrated learning,” Danielle said.
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“My first placement was at Crystal Towers Century City and my second placement was at Cassia Restaurant.” After completing her placement at Cassia, Danielle was requested to stay on, but she was determined to return to university and complete her degree which she did in 2018. “A few days after I graduated, I returned to Cassia to see if they would still have me and fortunately, they agreed.” Danielle began as a commis chef in November 2018 and a year later was promoted to chef tournant. That was followed by a promotion to junior sous chef in early 2020 and by the end of that www.businesseventsafrica.com
