From Worcester to the world

For Shermone Smith, recently promoted to Executive Sous Chef at The Table Bay hotel in Cape Town, prepping vegetables and assisting her mother and grandmother led to a career in the kitchen.

The Worcester-born 33-year old grew up making traditional South African and Cape Malay dishes with her grandmother, and baking cakes and flans with her mother.

“I was always interested in cooking, but never thought I would be a chef until I had to make a decision about what to do after school,” Smith said.

After qualifying in Professional Cookery Management at the Cape Town Hotel School, Smith worked as a trainee chef at two local establishments before spreading her wings to Doha, Qatar, where she worked as a commis chef at the St Regis Hotel.  It was here that she refined her pastry skills, working under an experienced Frenchman.

Return to South Africa

She returned to South Africa and worked as head chef at the ATKV Goudini Spa for two years, before joining Sun International’s Worcester property, Golden Valley, as Sous Chef.

“When I moved to The Table Bay last year June as Sous Chef, I knew that there would be personal growth. Golden Valley is a three-star property and The Table Bay is one of Sun International’s flagship five-star properties, so we are all about continuously raising the bar to please our guests who have eaten at the world’s best restaurants,” Smith said.

“I am passionate about food and hospitality and thrive in fast-paced environments while leading dynamic teams, and pride myself in developing creative menus to satisfy our customers.

“We have four sous chefs reporting to me who oversee breakfast, in-room dining, the lounge and our banqueting sections, and they each have their own teams, so I oversee 50 staff members.”

Stepping away from the stove

Smith enjoys creating dishes, and putting twists on popular favourites, but says that in her new position, she has to step away from the stove and spend more time on budgeting, forecasts, and managing her team and kitchen areas.

Her favourite ingredients to cook with include fresh herbs and playing with spices to create new flavours. “Cooking is about the balance and getting the combination of flavours right.”

During the winter, Smith and The Table Bay’s Executive Chef Lindsay Venn spent time with their team trying “pan-African” dishes and flavours.

In her spare time, Smith enjoys baking and cooking with her eight-year-old daughter Leah, an aspiring chef. The pair also enjoy road trips.