Chronicle Editor
Rejoyce Sibanda
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CHEF Louise John Ndebele’s journey from selling basic kotas in the township to becoming one of the top-ranked food chefs is a testament to his resilience and determination. Growing up in a toxic environment, he refused to let his circumstances define him. His passion for food was strengthened by his love for experimenting with different cuisines, as well as the motivation he received from his grandmother.
Chef Louise began his journey by purchasing a deep fat fryer and selling food to kombi drivers at various bus ranks. However, he knew he needed to pursue some form of qualification to solidify his cooking career.
“When the business was still in the process of growing, I then decided to pursue some form of qualification or paperwork that was going to help cement the foundation of my cooking career and I enrolled at Lobengula Vocational Training Centre. I knew that I was not going to learn a lot but I needed to utilise the opportunity by any means necessary,” he said.
Chef Louise’s internship at Cattlemen Steakhouse provided him with the opportunity to learn a variety of skills from various kitchen stations. This experience opened doors for him to work with various restaurants in Bulawayo, honing his culinary skills.
With the skills he had acquired and the resources at his disposal, Chef Louise decided to start his own private chef business called Food Mafia Chefs. This private chef agency is where culinary talents take shape, and the fine art of food culture thrives. Through his agency, he has excelled in changing the narrative that the Bulawayo food scene is boring, predictable, and lacks variety.
“With the skills that I had acquired and the resources that I had, I decided to start my own thing. In 2017 I registered my private chef business called Food Mafia Chefs which is a private chef agency where culinary talents take shape and where the fine art of food culture thrives.”
At Food Mafia Chefs, Chef Louise and his team only settle for the best. They strive to perfect everything by creating artistic, elegant, and memorable dishes that are relished by both the eye and the palate. The word “Mafia” demands respect, and Chef Louise aims to achieve this by being both a leader in the food industry and in culinary experiences.
“I chose Food Mafia because I want to dominate the food industry. My business is vast and I work with a lot of other qualified chefs. I train children from the ages 9 to 13 how to cook and I also teach housewives how to cook. I also do functions and events, food photography, illustration, styling and consultations for food markets,” said Chef Louise.
Food Mafia Chefs’ services include cooking lessons for children and housewives, functions and events, food photography, illustration, styling, and consultations for food markets. He has four permanent employees and interns from various institutions who are helping out.
“The whole journey has been amazing. You know that feeling of having your goals on a piece of paper and each and every day you try to put them into reality. Food Mafia Chefs started on a piece of paper and it was mainly planning and so most of the things that I am doing now were planned. It was quite a journey where I got to learn a lot of techniques, meet and work with different chefs,” he said.
Chef Louise’s dream is to own a big kitchen studio where he can conduct all his cooking lessons, record TV shows, and train his chefs. He is using his money wisely, saving up for even better and more efficient cooking equipment.
“One of the important lessons that I learned regarding running such a business is book keeping. As much as I was a great chef and everything, at some point I had to learn the business side of things, the costing side of things and that was a little bit tough because I had to get out of my comfort zone and start learning about the business side of the agency from scratch,” said Chef Louise.
Chef Louise’s journey has been nothing short of amazing. Despite the challenges he faced, he never gave up on his dream. His passion for food and determination to succeed have propelled him to the top of the culinary industry. — @ReeSibanda
Online Reporter