WORKING IN BALLITO
As someone who doesn’t like to spend time in the kitchen, having someone cook delicious, nutritious meals for me three times a day would be a dream come true. Private chef Zazi Gwagwa does exactly that, translating her passion for food into cooking out-of-this-world dishes for people in the comfort of their own homes.
Durban-born Zazi is currently Joburg-based but often travels nationwide for various jobs. This last December, she landed a gig as a private chef in Ballito for a local family. We had to get the rundown of her experience and day-to-day life in our hometown!
“My culinary pursuits began with loving food as a child. As a Food Network fanatic, I embraced all things culinary, borrowing cookbooks from my school library and trying different recipes out in our family home,” says Zazi. After catering for family events, she decided to pursue the career professionally. She now runs a catering company with her sister concurrently with her private chef gigs.
The Ballito job entailed cooking daily meals for the family: breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. “I would buy groceries based on the menu I curated. My client hosted friends and family quite regularly so l was able to have a lot of fun experimenting in the kitchen,” she adds.
So what does a day in the life of a private chef in Ballito look like? Zazi woke up at 6 a.m. to get ready and prepare the daily menu. At 7 a.m., she started with breakfast, which could be anything from smoothies to a full warm breakfast.
After the first meal of the day was served, she headed to the shops to get extra ingredients for lunch, dinner, snacks and the next day’s breakfast (you may have spotted her at our local Woolies!).
When 11 a.m. rolled around, it was time to start with lunch, followed by a short break. She started with preparations for dinner at 3 p.m., serving it at around 7 p.m. She then tended to last-minute requests, from a scoop of ice cream and hot tea to a snack platter, and clocked out at 10 p.m. Talk about a long day!
Despite it being long hours, she loved that she got to cook every day. “As a caterer, I never really get the opportunity to execute my own menus every single day, and this job allowed me to do that. It pushed my creativity because I have a distinctive cooking style but was often challenged to consider things like dietary restrictions which forced me to think outside the box.”
Luckily in the modern world we live in, there is no shortage of inspiration! Zazi often gets innovative ideas for meals from other chefs on social media. “Ballito is also so gorgeous. I was often inspired by my beautiful surroundings to craft easy-breezy, healthy meals,” she explains.
As any foodie would, Zazi also made time to explore the North Coast’s food scene during her time here, and she was blown away. “Ballito is a foodie’s dream! From eclectic cafes to trendy and sophisticated restaurants, there’s no craving one can’t fulfil.” Some of her highlights were grabbing an after-work drink at The Barrel, popping into Coffee LAB for a quick pick-me-up latte, and an incredible dinner at Yori Oki, which has since become her favourite restaurant in South Africa!
Although it was hard work, Zazi loved her time in Ballito and will be back soon, cooking up memorable meals for her local clients. Check out her Instagram to keep updated on all her culinary expeditions!
@zazicooks
Words by Jordyn Trollip
