From demolition to dinner
2007-09-27
IT’S hard to believe that once upon a time chef Norman Human’s ambition was to be a demolition expert! When you see the delicacy of his menus and the art of his presentation here is a man who has truly found his niche, certainly not in demolitions.
Recently joining The Culinary Academy (TCA) on Backsberg wine farm as Head Chef Lecturer, this self- effacing young man comes across as a gentle, easy-going person, but listening to his stories it is evident that hard work, passion and an iron will have put him where he is today.
His rise in the industry has taken him from an inauspicious start in the bakery department at Shoprite to a chef who has catered for such high profile people as former President Mandela, Donald Trump, Hilary and Bill Clinton, Yasser Arafat and Ernie Els amongst others.
Add to that some out-of–the-box pastimes - iguanas and bearded dragons shared his apartment in the USA - and you realise that this is no ordinary chef.
What sets him apart from the show chefs is his ability to laugh at himself and keep his feet on the ground.
A core of steel (the closest thing to the demolition ambition!) is his secret and he will move heaven and earth to get the ingredients he wants at the right freshness and the right price.
During his time in the USA he honed his skills in Miami at the Boca West Country Club and then moved to New York to join the Glen Oaks Country Club, the richest, privately owned club in the area.
It was here, under the guidance of Executive chef Michel Fitoussi that he was introduced to the art of ice carving and proved to be an apt pupil.
Returning to South Africa his experience at leading restaurants and luxury hotels (the Marine in Hermanus, Mont Rochelle in Franschhoek amongst others) has led him back to where he first trained in 1998 – The Culinary Academy.
The excellent training that I received here opened the doors to me both here and overseas.
The opportunity to teach youngsters and impress on them my philosophy of ‘being the best you can’ is refreshing. TCA taught me the basics and it’s good to give back.”
“My stint in the bakery department at Shoprite led me to believe that I was a baker – taking the TCA course, I soon realised that premix and gourmet were worlds apart! The last eight years have taught me that there is no compromise in producing fine food.”
The ultimate professional, he is not afraid to speak his mind if things are not up to standard.
Apart from being an excellent pastry chef he enjoys looking in the fridge and conjuring up dishes with whatever he sees there – sometimes a daunting task!
He uses his skill in ice carving for events and has produced artworks as table decorations from simple sugar mixtures.
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