More About the Chef
I am a proud son of the soil. My love and respect for the earth was nurtured as a young boy. I was born and brought up on a farm on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. As a young boy I followed my dad around his farm and gained my knowledge and understanding of growing produce.
My passion for cooking lead me to swop a career in commerce for my Chef’s whites. I am a graduate of the International Hotel School, having completed my training with the Three Cities Group under the guidance of former Group Executive Chef Shaun Munro.
My career has afforded me the opportunity of working with Groups such as Three Cities, Signature Life Hotels, Intercontinental Hotel Group and currently with Marriott International as Executive Chef of Protea Hotel by Marriott O.R. Tambo Airport. I also serve as the Chairman of the Group’s Food and Beverage Forum, representing Southern Africa as the Advisory Chef for Marriott’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region and have recently been appointed as an Advisory Board member of the International Hotel School.
I have had the opportunity to participate in Culinary competitions including the Chaine de Rotisseurs Jeunes Commis competition, Unilever Food Solutions Young Chefs Challenge, Suncoast Spice and the Unilever Food Solutions Chef of the Year. I am also an accredited SA Chefs Competition Judge.
I was the youngest member serving on the KZN committee of SA Chefs in 2007/8 and the Vice Chairman of the SA Chefs Gauteng Committee. I am currently a Director of SA Chefs fulfilling the Youth Portfolio. With SA Chefs, I have been actively involved with coordinating and assisting with the Good Food and Wine Show, InfoChef, Hostex, and Appetite Fest. I am the Project Head of Chefs with Compassion.
My major focus is on the development and growth of the young chefs in our industry. While working in the various groups I have had the pleasure of mentoring and developing young chefs at the Signature Life Institute of Hospitality Studies, the Royal Bafokeng Hospitality Institute and Protea Hotels Institute for Professional Development. I was also awarded in 2018 for the Best Performing Workplace across all 3 levels of the NYCTP program in Gauteng
References
“Chef Coo, is a pleasure to work with. Professional, passionate and creative. He is an inspiration to the hospitality industry and a leader in his field.”
- Clairann Potgieter, Director / Owner – Chefs Brigade.
“Chef Coo is an excellent Chef to work with, being a supplier to him is such a pleasure, He is professional, supportive, helpful and knows exactly what he wants and expects, which makes a supplier’s job a lot easier. ”
- Suenet Atkins, Owner – CS Continental Wholesale
