Born to parents who were Portuguese immigrants from Madeira, Veronica grew up in the small farm town of Wellington in Boland, Western Cape. As a child she would go to Madeira with her mother every year to visit family. She caught the travel bug and believed that if she had a career in hospitality, it would enable her to travel. Cooking was a hobby that she enjoyed and this changed the day she walked into The Victoria and Alfred Hotel as a waitress in 1997. She landed a summer job in Cape Town and was completely inspired by how a proper restaurant kitchen operated. She was intrigued by how a brigade of chefs came together and ensured that food became a work of art. To say, she fell in love would be an understatement and hotel management was no longer an option but becoming a chef was now her goal. After studying business at Stellenbosch University, she took another holiday job in 1999 at The Mount Nelson Hotel and that’s where she began her culinary career. She was fortunate enough to be chosen as a culinary apprentice and there was no looking back. She honed her culinary skills with Garth Stroebel and then went on to work in some of the best kitchens in the UK, France and in South Africa. Garth was the first person she ever called chef. He saw her passion and potential and helped start her career. Working for him changed the course of her life. He set her on her path and working with him opened several doors for her. Even during her training, she was sent to Portugal to work in Quinta do Lago in the Algarve and this was a wonderful learning curve for her. Her internship at the Mount Nelson Hotel had incredible opportunities and many of the chefs she worked with and met there are doing amazing work in South Africa. In the late 90s early 2000s, Garth was the pioneer of modern South African cooking. When she started working with him, her culinary background was not in any way refined or defined. Garth taught her to think as a professional, to look at a dish and to work out how to prepare it in a beautiful, consistent manner.
VERONICA CANHA-HIBBERT THE SILO HOTEL CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
After five years being the executive chef at Ellerman House, a trip was organised by Relais & Châteaux to France at Jacques Chibois’ La Bastide Saint-Antoine. Jacques showed Veronica French flair at its best. When it came to sourcing produce, he used to go to the markets around Grasse himself and choose the best ingredients. He taught her to use the finest and freshest ingredients to render a refined product. Veronica is inspired by Cape Town and South Africa which is evident in her menus.
186