African chefs carving out careers in Qatar

Eighteen young up-and-coming African chefs have been carefully selected for a rare employment opportunity offered by the world’s best airline, Qatar Airways.

African Chefs Qatar
Chef Lesedi Mokoena furthers her career in Qatar. Image: Supplied

The newly appointed recruits will be joining the multi-award winning carrier’s catering as well as retail and dining subsidiaries in Doha, Qatar.

While the majority of recruits are South African, some of the candidates have listed Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kenya as their country of origin.

THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

The talented young chefs withstood the challenge during the recruitment process, seeing off competition from hundreds of other candidates who graduated from the Capsicum Culinary Studio campuses across South Africa.

The new recruits are the first of nearly 50 that will be placed with Qatar Aircraft Catering Company (QACC) and Qatar Duty Free (QDF) – both operating from the state-of-the-art facilities at the world’s best airport, Hamad International Airport in Doha.

SOUTH AFRICAN CHEFS MAKE IT IN QATAR

As part of the group, two young South African chefs, Ayanda Khumalo and Lesedi Mokoena, made it through the tough recruitment process with Qatar Catering.

Both chefs originate from Gauteng Province in South Africa. Kumalo, aged 23, hails from Amandasig, while Mokoena, aged 21, is from Pretorius Park.

PLACEMENTS WITH QATAR AIRWAYS SUBSIDIARIES

Khumalo said, “This is an amazing opportunity to be exposed to diverse cultures and cuisines… For instance, in the [airport] area that I’ve been placed, there are dozens of outlets that serve a variety of national and regional dishes.”

Khumalo developed a love for cooking as a child, being inspired by her grandmother who nurtured Khumalo’s interest in food.

“My grandmother was my biggest role-model from a young age. Seeing her make roasts, casseroles and cake nurtured my interest in cooking for a living. I want to make her proud.” Khumalo said.

Mokoena, who credits her grandfather (also a chef) for sparking her interest in food, said, “It is tremendously exciting to be part of a world-class brand with excellence as a benchmark, and being mentored under the leadership of Chef David Sosson.”

ALSO READ: The science behind Qatar’s exceptional inflight meals

SHOWCASING AFRICAN CUISINE

Mokoena said that apart from learning all she can, she is on a mission to introduce people to African cuisine.

She enjoys infusing the culinary components and flavours that comprise the South African braai: barbecued meat with garlic bread, pap (stiff mealie-meal porridge), chakalaka (spicy vegetable relish) and Greek salad.

VALUE OF DIVERSITY

Qatar Airways’ Chief People Officer, Antonio Schulthess, believes that diversity is key to the airline’s success.

“Diversity and excellence are the hallmarks of the Qatar Airways brand. Recruiting candidates from around the world, as is the case with our partnership with Capsicum Culinary Studio, is part of our ongoing commitment to finding the best talent globally and empowering our personnel to build fulfilling careers with the world’s best airline.” Schulthess said.

Thulisile Mgidi, Capsicum Culinary Studio’s Customer Experience and Career Centre Manager said that Capsicum was thrilled to see its graduates being offered opportunities in Qatar.

“It is hard to imagine a better opportunity for these young chefs to seize, and you can see how excited they are to make the most of it. There’s an art and science to making sure food meets the highest of standards, so these candidates are learning invaluable skills from the best of the best.” Mgidi said.

AFRICAN CHEFS FORGING CAREERS IN QATAR

It is not just foreign pilots and cabin crew members seeking employment opportunities with Qatar Airways.

The African chefs employed by Qatar Aircraft Catering Company (QACC) will certainly have an opportunity to learn and develop their skills and talents.

“Our state-of-the-art facility is designed to inspire innovation in culinary excellence. Equipped with the latest technology and resources, it will empower the new talented chefs’ creativity and skills. This is really a good career growth where young employees get exposure to large-scale operations and expand their culinary knowledge.” Victor Cheng, Vice President at Qatar Aircraft Catering Company said.

QATAR AIRCRAFT CATERING COMPANY

QACC, with an industry-leading facility spanning 69,000 m², is the largest single-building airline catering provider in the world.

It has expanded all possible capabilities and set a new industry benchmark of excellence in the onboard dining experience.

With more than 20 years of culinary innovation and operations excellence, QACC delivers 200,000 meals across 300 flights daily.

QDF is home to award-winning shopping and dining in Doha, offering a myriad of choices ranging from traditional food courts to lounges, restaurants and cafes.

It also features world-first concepts such as the Louis Vuitton Lounge, created in partnership with Michelin star chef Yannick Alléno.

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