JHB South - April 2020

Introducing our own
VILLAGE CHEF
Chef Zulu, as he became known in the culinary industry, left the rolling hills of the Newcastle
countryside for the hustle and bustle of the city to realise his dreams of becoming a chef.
Text: Criana van der Walt. Photo: TBF Advertising.
Phephisani Sangweni’s mother passed
away when he was just a boy and he
soon had to learn how to cook for his
two brothers and sisters.
He admits making pap at the tender
age of 10 was not the epitome of modern
cooking skills, but his experiments
with sauces and meat dishes soon
made him the favourite family cook.
“I think it was turning an average dish
into something tasty, using the few ingredients
we had in a rural countryside,
that made me an innovative cook. My
stews were legendary and it seemed to
attract people from the neighbourhood
for dinner, people we hardly even knew.
“The joy everyone experienced from my
efforts laid the foundation for my love of
food and hospitality,” he said with
a smile.
Phephisani left the countryside and
settled in the greater Alberton area
and kept doing what he loved most -
reading food magazines and watching
cooking shows on TV, finding inspiration
from celebs such as Marco Pierre
White, British chef, restaurateur, and
television personality.
“I find inspiration from what international
chefs do, but I never copy them and
always have my own interpretation.”
Climbing the ladder
After his first appointment at McDonald’s,
he soon became ‘Chef Zulu’, an
endearing name he’s accepted
ever since.
From those humble days of scullery
service at McDonlad’s, he soon learnt
maintenance, cleaning and safety skills.
He then applied for a position as griller
at the (then) Mike’s Kitchen. “Not
knowing a single thing about grilling,”
he said, laughing.
22 Get It Joburg South April 2020
GIS0403_022_1152022235.indd 22 2020/03/12 14:24:24