Having been involved in the hospitality and events industry since 1994, Kim Roberts joined The Forum Company eight years ago in the role of campus executive chef. Now acting as operations director, she is still passionate foodie as well as co-author of the AKA Cookery Book. We had the opportunity to ask Kim how she spiced up her cooking career:
How has the food and beverage industry changed over the past five years?
In South Africa we have become much more aware of global trends and combining this with our local flavour, consequently our dishes have become a lot more interesting.
What would you identify as the primary mistake people make when catering for conferences?
Too much of the same, especially if more than one day. Changing it up on cooking methods, presentation and style (food stations, buffets, finger etc) is vital.
How can one present ‘plain’ food to make it look appealing to delegates?
We know people eat with their eyes first. It needs to look and be fresh, well prepared and served appropriately. It is great if you can put something on the side that more adventurous delegates can choose to add to the ‘plain’ food.
What is your favourite dish to make?
I love stir fries. They are fresh, seasonal and simple to prepare with limited cooking time. Usually lovely and colourful too
What is your number one catering tip?
Be consistent, in the catering world it is better to keep the food simple and do it really well every time.
What is your favourite kitchen equipment or gadget?
As plain as this may sound, a good set of knives.
What dish were you asked to make most often?
In my restaurant career definitely our seared tuna dishes and in conferencing, curries.
What is your favourite food and why?
Fish, best eaten simply grilled but the unique flavours across species is amazing.
Did you eat your veggies as a child?
Definitely, although the steamed frozen carrots that we used to get served I used to throw out the window, thinking the dog would eat them. They needless to say, they never did. I now steer clear of frozen veg, there is such great fresh produce readily available in stores or your garden
What is your favourite food memory?
Picking rhubarb and apples from our garden to make pie, there is nothing better than foraging. A true sense of achievement comes from preparing and eating those dishes
What is your funniest kitchen incident?
Kitchens always come with interesting characters working in them, and as a result there are many fun moments. While I was working at Harrods in London, I was preparing and cleaning 200 eels one morning for export for a royal banquet. I still get the shivers thinking about that day.
What was the inspiration behind your cookbook, AKA Cookery Book?
We had such a solid network of regular customers who always wanted certain recipes. We did not have a standard menu for very long before it changed with the season, so this was born out of the requests of those customer besties.
What is one ingredient you cannot cook without?
Sea salt. A little used while preparing food enhances the natural flavours of ingredient combinations. This way I hope that guests don’t find the need to add additional seasoning to their meals.
