Diners see a beautifully presented plate of food. What they don’t see are the early mornings, the planning, the pressure and the countless decisions that go into getting it just right.
As International Chefs Day approaches on 20 October, Janaè Reddy, Executive Chef at Brahman Hills in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, reflects on a profession he loves, and the journey from his childhood home in Durban, where meals brought people together, to leading a professional kitchen.
After training at the International Hotel School, Reddy started right at the bottom, learning the importance of discipline, teamwork and every role in the kitchen. He also discovered that consistency counts as much as creativity, and there’s something to learn from everyone.
“A professional kitchen is almost like an orchestra,” he says. “Everyone has a role, and if one part isn’t working properly, it affects the entire service. But being a chef isn’t only about cooking. It’s also about leadership, communication and performing under pressure.”
At just 24, becoming an Executive Chef remains one of Reddy’s proudest achievements, a reflection of hard work and dedication across both international and local kitchens. Another highlight is his role at Brahman Hills, which attracted him three years ago with the chance to use his experience on a larger scale, catering for weddings and events in a picturesque setting.
He particularly enjoys the people and variety of his job. No two events are exactly the same, and that variety keeps the kitchen exciting, pushes the team to improve and has made him a more rounded chef and better leader.
“A successful service starts long before the first plate leaves the kitchen,” explains Reddy. “Each event requires an enormous amount of planning, from menu design and dietary requirements to ordering, preparation, staffing, timing, plating and service.”
His focus is on delivering the same high standard to every guest, whether at an intimate function or a large wedding, with food that’s fresh, elegant, seasonal and suited to the setting. And at weddings in particular, he wants the food to be a memorable part of someone’s special day.
Reddy describes his cooking as modern, refined and ingredient-driven, with strong South African influences. His kitchen blends classical and modern techniques, but his favourites are cooking over fire for flavour and slow cooking and braising for depth. “I think the best cooking comes from knowing when to use technique and when to simply let a great ingredient speak for itself,” he adds.
Inspiration comes from almost anywhere: an ingredient, a memory, a season, a restaurant visit, travelling or something fresh at the market. He likes building menus around what’s available, supporting local producers and drawing on South Africa’s diverse food culture, from biltong, mielies and indigenous herbs to rooibos, Amarula, stone fruit and game.
Reddy also loves giving familiar flavours a contemporary twist, asking how he can make them more refined or interesting. But great food, he believes, doesn’t need to be complicated: sometimes three or four ingredients, treated properly, are all it takes. Nor does fine dining have to mean food that people don’t understand. His goal is to create dishes that look beautiful, taste exceptional and feel relatable.
He doesn’t have one favourite dish but is drawn to a superb piece of protein with seasonal vegetables and a well-made sauce. At home, he prefers something uncomplicated: a good steak, salad, roasted vegetables or a simple pasta without the pressure of service.
Beyond seeing guests enjoy his food, Reddy says one of his greatest rewards is helping young chefs find their feet and grow in confidence. And his advice to aspiring chefs is straightforward: “Be prepared to work hard, stay humble and never stop learning. Most importantly, don’t become a chef because you think it’s glamorous. Become a chef because you genuinely love food, people, creativity and the challenge of getting better every day.”
For Reddy, International Chefs Day celebrates not only chefs but everyone who makes hospitality possible. “It’s a chance to recognise the creativity, commitment and long hours that go into guest experiences,” he notes. “For me personally, it’s also a reminder of how far I’ve come and how much I still want to achieve.”
