Fuad Martin discovered his passion for cooking at a young age, and was inspired to pursue a culinary career after watching celebrity chefs like Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay effortlessly transform simple dishes into masterpieces with just a few tweaks.
Of course, by the time he grew up, he had discovered that long years of work and formal training lay behind the magic of televised cooking. So he took the first step towards becoming a chef by obtaining his National N Diploma in Hospitality and Catering at False Bay TVET College.
After completing the Work-Integrated Learning component of his course he registered with Hospitality Solutions Company (HSC), the largest supplier of hospitality staffing in South Africa, and was placed at the Southern Sun Cullinan Hotel in October 2018.
As a commis chef in the hotel’s busy à la carte kitchen, Fuad must ensure that his work station and stock levels meet the demanding standards of the chef. The kitchen supplies the meals served at the restaurant and bar as well as in-room dining services. He is also required to provide support when the hotel caters at banquets or events.
Although it’s a fast-paced, pressured work environment, Fuad takes each day as it comes, and focuses on ensuring that he masters each new skill element before moving to the next.
He says he is always looking to strengthen and grow his industry knowledge and skills.
“Always push yourself. There is always room for improvement no matter how good things are,” says Fuad.
Since completing his studies with False Bay TVET College, Fuad has participated in a course on molecular gastronomy, studying the science behind the physical and chemical transformations that occur during cooking.
Even on his days off, Fuad enjoys trying the offerings of new food establishments and learning about new techniques and industry trends in his field. In answer to the inevitable question, he says he doesn’t have a favourite dish but enjoys cooking risotto, an Italian dish with much flavour diversity potential.
