Chef Thamae's recipe for success and mentorship

With three decades of expertise in the industry, Mahlomola Thamae is committed to nurturing young culinary talent. By Naomi Campbell

- Naomi Campbell

Born in Mofolo, Soweto, chef Mahlomola Thamae's love for cooking started when he was a child. Now he mentors a young generation of up-and-coming chefs. Growing up, Thamae watched his family cook various dishes, and his passion blossomed from there.

"I've got a lot of inspiration from my family and the love of food that started in the family when I was young, and what inspires me is to wake up every day and come to work and do something that I love, something that I am passionate about," he said.

After obtaining his degree in the science of cooking at Westminster Kingsway College in England in 2009, Thamae continued to pursue his culinary passion and refine his craft. Almost a decade later, he was inspired to start his own business. The owner of TM Innovations, Thamae operates bespoke events and a catering company specialising in events, canteen services and coffee shop and vending machine management in Johannesburg, where he contributes to the culinary industry with his "luxury for your taste buds" brand.

"We use the best ingredients, the best available products and we are using the best suppliers in our country. We normally go to the suppliers every Tuesday to buy fresh ingredients," said Thamae.

In the kitchen, I watched Thamae plate the meal he had made for me. He placed the millet (a starchy grain) first, followed by a hake fillet on top of sea bass, some vegetables on top of the fillets such as caramelised onion, cucumber, pepper and carrot, before finishing it off with drizzled lemon butter, garnished with his favourite herb, rosemary. My mouth was watering as I watched the professional chef in his element. But that wasn't all — I was truly in for a South African curated culinary experience.