João Adriano
THE passion about cooking and sharing his recipes with people from different parts of the world gives Manuel Chiloya more reasons to hone his cooking skills and pursue his dream of becoming one of the most creative master chefs the country can offer.
He loves the fact that cooking is constantly changing from ordinary meals to creative dishes, adding and mixing ingredients to create signature dishes through which chefs get recognised.
After failing Grade 10 in 2017, Chiloya, (now 23), lost hope in education, but through an NTA/NQF grant, he and other beneficiaries studied tourism and hospitality.
He started his cooking career in 2020 at The Homestead Skills & Technical Educational Academy (HSTEA) based in the Ohangwena region, about 30km from Ondangwa.
“What inspired me to be a chef is the love for food. For me, cooking is an expression of the land where you are and the culture of that place,” said Chiloya.
The young chef recently graduated and now works as a sauce chef at the Timbila Safari Lodge by N/a’ankuse, where he prepares delicious dishes for Namibian guests as well as visitors from abroad. This has allowed him to connect with different people through the various food dishes he brings to the table.
His biggest challenge so far has been preparing dishes for people from different ethnic groups from those he has been familiar with. However, through taking risks and at times using the skills he has acquired along the way, coupled with the love he has for cooking, he managed to prepare the dishes that guests have loved.
“I’ve long believed that preparing good food is all about risk; whether we’re talking about unpasteurised Stilton, raw oysters or cooking for a vegetarian audience, food, for me, has always been an adventure,” he said.
With inspiration from his mother, Chiloya feels he chose the right career path, even though it comes with a lot of challenges and responsibilities. It takes patience and determination to achieve dreams; that’s why the young chef plans to run a five-star commercial kitchen as a head chef in the future.