AS A YOUNGSTER he had visions of himself wearing a suit and tie and flourishing in the corporate world someday.
But the reality is that Zacharia Maseko has been “wearing an apron” for most of his working years, which has given him great joy and a sense of accomplishment.
Maseko, 55, who is responsible for the food produced at one of the country’s leading resort hotels, the Wild Coast Sun, as their executive chef, is on the cusp of completing a year in that position.
It’s his 35th year of working at the Wild Coast, an establishment set on unspoiled beaches near the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal borders, and presently celebrating 40 years of operation.
Maseko is their longest serving staff member.
Hard work, dedication, determination and a willingness to learn, Maseko said, were some of the ingredients in his recipe for culinary success.
When Maseko started job hunting after completing matric, he was prepared for anything to earn a living.
He got hired as a buffet builder at the resort, and his duties included creating platforms for kitchen staff to present food offerings and cleaning.
While he appreciated the job he had, Maseko became drawn to the kitchen. It was where he wanted to be.
“The kitchen staff could see my interest and gave me little tasks to perform like chopping onions, peeling prawns, and cleaning mushrooms. The chefs would ask me to fetch some spices, oil and other stuff.
“I did it with pleasure because it was a break from my own mundane tasks.”
It took him back to his boyhood days when his mother spotted his affinity for cooking and got him to assist the meals she prepared, especially samp and beans.
Maseko said he found his place in the kitchen by complete “accident”.
He regarded Philemon Mbili, an all-rounder in the kitchen, as a mentor.
“I loved working with Philemon and developed a friendship with him. He regarded me as an assistant, that is how I got introduced to cooking.”
Maseko’s kitchen break came when he was hired as a food handler, and his duties were “chopping, chopping, but no cooking”.
It took Maseko three years before he got promoted to junior chef and he received no formal training, he learnt on the job.
But he wanted to go higher.
Maseko said it worked to his advantage that the country was in transition in the early 1990s and he realised companies were going to need skilled black people to be a part of their management.
He worked on readying himself for opportunities that might come his way.
“I said to my bosses that I’m happy with what I was doing, but wanted to learn more and needed their help to further studies in the food industry.”
Maseko said at first they didn’t think he was serious but he eventually got a chance to convince a panel of five managers that he deserved a chance to study at a “chefs’ school”.
“They agreed, I studied at the old ML Sultan Technikon (Durban) for three years and they paid my salary.”
When he returned, Maseko began to climb the ranks gradually until he became the executive chef.
Maseko got to cook for many famous guests over the years.
His best memory was treating former president Nelson Mandela and some of his friends.
“President Mandela’s guests had seafood. But I had to have a traditional African meal for him.”
When the kitchen staff behind the buffet were serving, Mandela called them over in spite of his security staff’s concerns.
“I wanted to shake his hand and I did.”
Maseko says his new role requires him to be up to speed with the latest trends in the hotel industry and uphold the business’ image.
“The food we produce will speak of the company’s values and standards.”
He conceded that more of his time is now spent on administrative work to ensure the food they prepared moved deliciously onto plates and into palates.
As a traditional African man, Maseko said, at home, a short distance from work, he stays away from the kitchen but occasionally offers a word of advice.
“I prefer to check on the cows, the kraal, and mix with the local gentleman.”
Maseko said he loves to encourage youngsters from his neighbourhood to follow their dreams.
Peter Tshidi, general manager, Wild Coast Sun: “Zach (Maseko) has been a very dedicated and hard-working member of the Wild Coast Sun family for 35 years of the 40 years the resort has been operational. He is the most focused and humble executive chef I have worked alongside.
“Zach’s passion for food, teaching and mentoring others is highly admirable.“
SUNDAY TRIBUNE