A love affair with food takes Wesli Jacobs to The Table Bay

Wesli Charls Jacobs is obsessed with food. Everything about it. From the smiles it puts on people’s faces, to the way in which it brings families together and of course the tastes. His love affair with food started as a young boy and it has helped him land a new position as executive sous chef of the prestigious The Table Bay.

Born in Redhill, Durban, Wesli recalls the beginning of his love of cooking, in the kitchen alongside his mother, as an eight year-old little boy. Watching shows such as “Jamie Oliver the Naked Chef” and “Ready Steady Cook”, along with the fact that he was fortunate enough to be taken to high end hotels and restaurants fed Wesli’s love of food and cooking.

“Experiencing great food and excellent service at these places sparked my love for the hospitality industry,” he said. After completing his high school career at St Henrys Marist Brothers College and then obtaining his diploma in professional cooking and kitchen management at the International Hotel School, Wesli did his in-service training at the Royal Hotel, Breakers Resort and 3 Chefs Bistro in KwaZulu-Natal. It was then time to break into the industry. He landed his first job as demi chef de partie at the Coastlands, Umhlanga.

From there he worked his way up to chef de partie, then gardemanger at the Durban International Convention Centre where he worked his way up to sous chef.

“My big role came at Spier Wine Farm as executive chef and now executive sous chef at the Table Bay Hotel.” Wesli is energetic and likes to stay a step ahead. He says that he loves to upskill his team of chefs and empower them to be the best that they can be through the love for food and service.

“We recently made changes to our Camissa Brasserie’s menu and in-room dinning menu to reflect the season of summer and the wonderful produce at the moment.

“The focus will always be seasonality, with a keen congnisance of the latest food trends.” Always in sync with the trends, Wesli says that vegan and gluten-free eating is trending at the moment.

“We are receiving more and more requests for this type of food. So, my chefs and I are coming up with menus to accommodate these requests, keeping it seasonal, fresh and light.”

This cooking expert’s own preferences, he said, are anything Italian (pizza/ pasta), Indian (Curry), Chinese/Japanese (Baos/Sushi) and Middle Eastern.

According to him, he always has onions, chilies and tomatoes in his fridge. “I’m from Durban and these are a given in most Durban homes.”

These ingredients and his Wustof chef knife, the one piece of kitchen equipment he says he cannot be without, make him a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen.

When asked what has had the biggest influence on his career, Wesli said it is a mix of family, friends and his teams of chefs.

“I learn so much about the industry by keeping an open mind and learning from everyone, from the steward all the way up to executive management. I owe a lot of credit to my faith and beliefs which strengthen me every day to be a better leader in my day to day life.”

Wesli has an important message for youngsters wanting to pursue a career in the culinary field: “If you have a love for food and love making people happy with your cooking, then pursue this rollercoaster of a career.

“There will be challenging days and rewarding days but never lose your excitement for cooking, the love of food and your passion for people. These are the reasons you choose this career in the first place.”