Soundbite

Rising to the top

Moizyll Baatjies, who heads up Johannesburg Marriott Hotel’s kitchen, spotlights culinary trends while providing Meetings with insights into her experience as a chef and mother.

My favourite dish to cook is a crispy seared salmon with lemon risotto seasoned with black pepper and fresh parsley. It is a simple dish yet very flavourful and elegant.”

I think the trends that we can expect to see in hospitality is that food safety will remain a priority for the foreseeable future. Individually plated small servings that minimise touchpoints and waste, and live cooking stations will definitely become more popular. Not only is this great for food safety purposes but also very appetising with the aroma that fills the air. Guests really enjoy seeing chefs prepare food for them.”

ABOUT MOIZYLL BAATJIES

I grew up in the hidden parts of South Africa’s west coast in a town called Atlantis, which also explains my love for fish. I come from humble beginnings, and I am very proud of my roots. I grew up in a place where most people have no hope for their futures and accept their circumstances for what they are. It takes a very brave and focused person to break free from the stigma that so many have just accepted to be the norm. I moved to the Garden Route (Knysna) just after I matriculated, and it was the best move I ever made. I started working in a small bakery called 34 South. That allowed me to learn a skill I already had a passion for. I used to love baking with my grandmother, but I just didn’t know it was going to become my career. I learnt where it could take me and made the best of it. I got the idea in my head that I should go and search for a job at hotels and the second hotel that I approached gave me a chance – the Plettenberg Bay Hotel, where I worked for five years, all thanks to Chef Christian Campbell who saw potential in me. I grew from kitchenhand to senior chef de partie (CDP) in the five years I spent there, without any qualifications. I went on to study at Silwood School of Cookery and got my diploma. From there, I went to work for Fancourt as a CDP with Chef Victor Malek. He promoted me to head pastry chef within one year. I worked for the Table Bay and now I’m at the Johannesburg Marriott Hotel. I am also a proud single mother of three beautiful children. Sadly, I lost my husband to cancer when my children were still very young. The hospitality industry is a very tough industry to be in, but I believe that if you show respect and consideration – and if you have the right attitude – there’s nothing that can hold you back. Stay humble and believe God will pave your way. My motto in life is to always leave room for disappointment in every aspect of life.