There is a new Executive Chef at the helm of Meropa’s kitchens, John Sadie. With over 20 years experience in the hospitality industry, having worked at a variety of destinations, from the luxury game reserve, Shamwari in the Eastern Cape to the super fast paced, Five Flies restaurant in Cape Town where it was commonplace to push out over 650 meals in four hours.
“I’ve been in the industry for 20 years and have worked in as many places. I have worked in some high end places as well as what some would consider low end. But one thing is for sure, quality is everything,” says Sadie.Born and raised in Johannesburg, Sadie attended boarding school at Park Town Boys High and then went on to study at The Three Cities International Hotel School which at the time was accommodated at the old Carlton Hotel. After qualifying, he got his first job at the prestigious Shamwari Game Reserve.
Leveraging his culinary skills to pursue his dreams to travel the world, he worked on American cruise liners which exposed him to inspiring people, places and sights. He describes his time at the bustling Five Flies restaurant in Cape Town as a game changer for him. “When it first opened, we could manage to seat and feed about 100 people without a hitch. However, one evening we had a media evening which was featured on Top Billing which resulted in an influx of diners the very next Friday. Between 300 and 400 people came to eat and we were unprepared. It was certainly trial by fire but we all learned a lot that night. One year later, we were serving 650 people per night with absolute ease,” he recalls.
Calling his career his hobby, Sadie says he enjoys creating something out of seemingly unrelated ingredients and witnessing the joy and awe on people’s faces as they eat. “You almost feel like a magician when the audience asks, ‘how did you do that?’ It’s a wonderful feeling,” he says. Like most chefs he has a few pet hates in the kitchen. “Never pick on anything from the cutting board I’m working on, you might just loose a finger or a hand. Never call me a cook, and never ask what I will make you for breakfast when I say I am a chef. Oh, and it’s not a ‘fork and knife’, it is a knife and fork,” he smiles.
Full of energy and with a desire to inspire, he wants to ensure that Meropa’s restaurants are renowned for great choice, fantastic food and superb experiences. In the short term, Sadie hopes to be recognised as an inspirational leader to Meropa’s food and beverage team, bringing new knowledge and energy to the ranks. In the long term he wants to make sure that he leaves a positive, long lasting impression on the complex’s brand.
