OUR MISSION
Mark Mbotya Internship Program
We aim to train and teach twelve students per year over four years who are not able to afford to pay for culinary school.
Each year we will take in 12 new students to begin their internship with us.
In this 4-year internship course, we will equip these future chefs with the collective knowledge of the Chefs Warehouse group through cooking theory and practical application as well as business and life skills needed for a career in food.
We will work to balance the scales of privilege and opportunity in food education and careers in our industry.
We seek to enrich our country's skilled labour heritage through the empowerment of individuals who, by a ripple effect will, in turn, go forth to empower others.
We wish to honour our departed Mark Mbotya, who was dedicated, passionate, striving yet humble and always improving his knowledge and developing himself while assisting others around him.
“We believe that if an individual is driven and has the right opportunities, they can succeed no matter their circumstances.”
IN HONOUR OF
MARK MBOTYA
In 2020 we lost one of our dearest team members - his name was Mark Mbotya.
Mark grew up in the Eastern Cape and found himself cooking his heart out in Dubai and then in Cape Town with the Chefs Warehouse team for over two years.
Mark was ambitious and driven, and his community looked up to him as a rising star.
When we lost Mark through a tragic accident, we found ourselves taking a long, hard look at our communities.
To celebrate the love Mark had for cooking, we decided to create a platform where we could honour that same passion for food that Mark so clearly demonstrated through his life's work. We created the Mark Mbotya Internship Program.
Mark became the guiding light for this project as he had proven that an opportunity met with hard work and desire, could achieve personal success for himself. He demonstrated that even through adverse circumstances, anyone could learn to cook, uplift themselves and contribute meaningfully to their community.
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
OUR MOTIVATION
We are motivated to offer a thorough old-school-inspired apprenticeship learning program to give disadvantaged young folk more opportunities for becoming successful chefs.
We feel we need more homegrown professional chefs to keep the fires going.
We desire to learn from all cultures, redistribute knowledge within our workforce and build our community from the ground up.
We wish to demonstrate that a chef does not always need to have a cookery school education in order to succeed in the real world.
We seek to give a substantial vocational experience to our students, imparting the knowledge and the tools to be able to work in any space.
‘What you put into this program will be what you get out of it’ - Our learning style will allow students to revisit tasks and tests until they get the answer right. No failing, no once-off opportunities - this is a process of growing and evolving an individual’s knowledge and skill set, and we will do this together. The intern’s success is our success.
This internship is not just a job; it is an apprenticeship - a path to a career in cooking. A dream come true and a stepping stone to a bright future.
“There is more to us than just a plate of food in a restaurant in the Chefs Warehouse group. We always try to give back, especially where we live. We invest in the future of our staff and students; in turn, they invest in ours.”
OUR VOCATIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM
We offer four years of intensive practical work within the Chefs Warehouse group.
We will take in six new students every year.
Students will learn in-service time and spend most of their internship working in the kitchen.
Cooking and business theory is a foundation for this apprenticeship; this will be provided in-house by chef-educator Lee-Ann Stocks in collaboration with Chefs Liam Tomlin, Ivor Jones and David Schneider.
Students will rotate yearly between Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia, Chefs Warehouse & Canteen on Bree street, Chefs Warehouse at Maison in Franschhoek, Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo, Thali and LOCAL as well as our new restaurants as they develop.
After each year, the head chefs of each restaurant will compile a report which will form part of their CV.
They will also receive a report from their chef educator.
Upon completion, there will be opportunities to apply for work at any of our restaurants or apply to other establishments in our industry.
Students will receive an intern contract.
Students will receive a monthly salary.
All uniforms and knives will be provided to the students.
1ST YEAR:
Students will be learning new skills in real-time within one of our three restaurants. Students will also be receiving cooking theory education from our chef lecturer as we equip our students with on-the-job practical experience as well as theoretical knowledge.
2ND & 3RD YEAR:
Students will be rotated to our other restaurants to learn under a new head chef and with a new team.
Cooking theory is expanded on to include business skills.
Students will do short industry placements in other food-related establishments to gain a broader perspective of the food industry, including suppliers, farms, charity work and accommodation properties.
4TH YEAR:
Students will engage in more extended industry placements.
Students will be examined on their accumulated knowledge in both practical and theory.
Year-end gala dinner and prize giving.
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THE CURRICULUM:
Practical & theory of cooking and baking
Business: Costing, supplier relationships, menu planning, human resources, health and safety and business models
Agriculture and nutrition: Seasonal gardening and basic dietary knowledge
Service: Front of house, wine appreciation and customer service
Careers in Food: Covering alternative careers in the food industry; Food media, catering & events, markets, food styling, consulting and teaching etc.
“The act of cooking food is what sets us apart and makes us human. The ability to take a product and breath life back into it is a miracle experienced each day. ”
PROSPECTIVE STUDENT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Prospective students must:
complete the application form and attend an interview with a panel of our senior staff.
show a passion for cooking and the food industry.
be between 16 - 25 years old, fluent in English, possess a Grade 10 qualification or above.
be legally able to work and study in South Africa.
have access to transport to our restaurants in Constantia, Franschhoek, Hout Bay and Cape Town CBD.
motivate their application with us.
Prospective students do not need prior kitchen experience or qualifications.
Successful applicants will then be called in for an interview to assess their fit for the program.
Further to that interview, if a prospective student is successful they will be invited back for a second interview along with their parent/s or guardian/mentor.
APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION ARE CLOSED AT THIS TIME.
“ Working and learning in the kitchen doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg, maybe a few fingertips. ”
OUR PARTNERS
