THE GINGER & LIME FOOD EXPERIENCE FOOD MADE WITH LOVE, FEEDS NOT ONLY THE BODY, BUT ALSO THE SOUL – Denise Levy, Founder of Ginger and Lime Food Studio “Time flies when you are having fun!”, so they say, and in the case of Ginger and Lime Food Studio they certainly agree. It is now nearly 3 years since this interactive cooking school opened its doors, with Denise kicking it off with an interactive Masterchef-style party for her own birthday with her closest family and friends. “It is only when you look back that you can see how far you have come!” says Denise, former international model, photo-production company owner and now Ginger & Lime team leader says. She adds: “Ginger & Lime seems to have a life and a soul of its own, and it is flying way beyond anyone’s expectations, including my own. As we always say, we feel we are holding on to a rocket that is shooting high up in the sky and we are clinging on for dear life! There are many new and exciting things lined up, and we continually grow and evolve as we go along, remaining open to all the possibilities that are presenting themselves. ” For each private event or weekly interactive course, after hours of preparation, the team takes much pride and joy stepping into their roles, as if onto a stage. The spotlight is on them, the show begins, guests feel this and become transformed by this culinary whirlwind of energy, aromas and taste sensations. A touch of the theatrical and a bit of drama is always thrown into the mix! The guests get to experience “behind the scenes” in the food prep, where the magic really happens. This is what sets them apart from any other “cooking school” or in fact restaurant, for that matter. Denise says “My kitchen has always been the heart of the home, a place where friends and family gather and bond over the preparation and the eating of, fabulous food.” So she asked herself how to combine a passion for cooking and make into a business venture? This is essentially what the concept of Ginger & Lime is, to open her kitchen to others who are also passionate about food and the ability it has to connect, soothe and provide an escape. While here, you forget your problems for just a short while, and become very focused and present. It is hard not to when you have a sharp knife in your hand, or when you are tasting a sauce to see exactly what it needs to make it perfect.
HOW DID THIS ALL START? Feeling that she was ready for a career change, and taking the fact that food and cooking are her absolute passions, it seemed natural that she would turn to something in this field. She decided to explore how to turn this from a hobby into a business. She attended a number of local cooking classes, to research what was on offer. She combined this with loads of hands-on experience at various restaurants around the world, as well as catering for private events. While attending a series of after hours cooking classes with Liam Tomlin (Chef’s Warehouse) she quickly noticed this became the best part of her week.
Then one evening, she had an “AHA moment!” She didn’t want to be the observer on this side of the counter anymore, she wanted to be doing what he was doing so expertly, imparting knowledge and sharing tips. If there’s anything you need to realize about this dynamic, motivated woman it’s that when she sets her mind to something…. She does it! From modelling internationally for several years, starting the first Call-a-pizza delivery service in Cape Town, and opening 5 more, to starting the top photographic production houses in South Africa. She just knew, this was her next purpose and mission in life.
According to Denise, after this realization, she was in a hurry to get it going and jokes that patience is not one of her strong points. But a quiet voice in her head said “Wait, Denise, take your time. There is no rush. Use this time to study what others are doing, learn more, see what you like, and what you don’t like. Refine your skills, and redefine your vision.” And that she did. She went to every cooking class she could find, some were great, and some were “seriously bad”. The next step was to create her dream kitchen so she did major renovations to her grand old lady of a home in Fresnaye, Cape Town, to house the state of the art Ginger and Lime Food Studio it is today, a kitchen that is both functional for classes and for the family. This was a huge project, and took around a year and a half to complete start to finish. “The moment they started chopping out the walls, and actually building, I knew there was no turning back. I had taken that first step up the staircase, and I was so excited to see where it would take me. I had committed, and I can tell you it is amazing how things just flowed and now we are where we are today, 3 years later”.
WHY AN INTERACTIVE COOKING STUDIO? The interactive cooking lessons range from Asian-inspired classes through to Mediterranean classics and back to local cuisine. Denise says that Ginger and Lime is an opportunity for her to indulge her passion for food & travel, and then to share the knowledge she have gained from these trips in an easy and relaxed way. “Guests feel at home here, as if they are visiting a friend, and jump in to help where they can. They are free to come and get involved in the cooking, chopping the onions, stirring the pot, create an intricate sauce, or just sit and observe, enjoy a glass of wine and a chat with the other guests.” She laughs and says “The best parties are always in the kitchen, right?” There is nothing boring about this cooking studio. They host a number of different events, functions and classes. Among these, they open the kitchen to a number of excellent guests chefs; Liam Tomlin (Denise’s foodie hero and personal kitchen mentor), Ivor Jones, John van Zyl, Neill Anthony, Jason Whitehead, Siphokazi, Matt Manning, Nathalie Larssen, Arabella Parkinson, Daniel Jardim, Stefan Olivier, Gordon Wright & Clara Bubenzer. “We love to learn from them and share this space with them,” Denise says. What’s on offer?
• Interactive cooking experiences (4 to 24 people)
• Private Exco & Boardroom meeting facility with catering
• Cape Cuisine: Gourmet Braai & Cape Malay
• Recipe Development and Menu Creation
• Exclusive private venue for special occasions
• Ultra Modern Kitchen venue for photo and film shoots
• Event Management (corporate or private)
• Masterchef Parties / Cookoffs / Kids Baking parties
• Celebrity & Guest Chef appearances
• End of year Functions
• Corporate workshops & Teambuilding
• Kitchen Teas and Bachelorette
• Product Launches with Bespoke Catering
• Gift vouchers for birthdays or special occasions
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT?
Denise says that heading up this venture has made her grow in so many ways, and stretched her right out of her comfort zone. “I am on the spot, in the eyes of those that are watching at all times, and it was very daunting at first. I had to learn to speak confidently in front of an audience, to talk through each course and to explain what we were doing and why.” But despite the challenges, she says it has been incredibly empowering, and she has grown so much personally. She loves to live out on the edge, get out of her comfort zone, to push her boundaries & to learn new things.
Another thing Denise says she has learnt is to always give more than what is expected of you. “I love seeing the joy and appreciation on the faces of our guests as they “get” this. They feel that they have received great value, but they don’t know that actually I have received even more in the act of giving.”
OUR TEAM “My team are an integral part of the Ginger & Lime experience, with both Almo & Paula having been with me since the beginning, and each one adds their own special personality into the mix.” Through the establishment of Ginger and Lime, Denise has been able to create some full and parttime job opportunities for a handful of very enthusiastic people. This is an important aspect of all businesses and Denise feels particularly strongly about this as a part of her social responsibility. She hopes to be able to provide more opportunities as the business expands, in particular to create an ongoing intern/apprentice system and to foster and encourage the love of cooking. WHAT’S NEXT? There are several new and exciting things coming up for Ginger and Lime as the team expands their passion for hosting, cooking and spreading the love that food allows. But for now, it’s a secret. You will have to wait and see!