Born-to-cook, Hanroe Erasmus has taken the honours as executive chef at The Palace, Sun City. With a long list of credentials and over two decades worth of experience under his belt, he has seamlessly synced with life and work at the award-winning Sun City Resort.
Erasmus has been an Executive Chef for thirteen years and holds vast experience within the five star hotel and restaurant market. His delightful culinary masterpieces have been showcased at some of the country’s most respected eateries including the African Pride at Melrose Arch and at the Irene Country Lodge, the Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria, the Moyo restaurant group and Old Town Italy on Menlyn Maine, to name just a few. Before joining The Palace this year, he was focused on nurturing emerging culinary talent as the Senior Lecturer at the Capital Hotel School.
Remembering his toy pots and pans as a toddler, Erasmus says that cooking and serving people has been natural for him his entire life. He believes firmly that chefs are born and not made. “You don’t decide to become a chef, you are destined to be a chef,” says Erasmus who first attempted to study Law but hated every minute of it. He knew his destiny was the kitchen.
After leaving Law school, Erasmus could not afford to go to chef school or college, so he started off right at the bottom and worked his way up through the ranks, reading as many cook books and magazines as he could.
“Only once I had worked my way up to Executive Chef did I get the opportunity to finally get my qualification through correspondence studies.”
His recipe to success in this industry is to learn something new every single day. “Every property I ever worked at taught me something, even if it was how not to do something. I always left a property with much more knowledge and experience than when I had arrived. I have been very fortunate to have worked with some amazing people, many of whom I still reach out to when I need some advice or guidance.”
This passionate chef says he is inspired by everything around him. “My family, the produce we work with, the smiles on my team’s faces, the guest feedback, basically everything.”
Although not a fussy eater himself, Erasmus says that he is easily wrapped around someone’s pinky when they have a good quality piece of beef and a good outdoor fire on offer. This is understandable considering that this family man enjoys the outdoors and is also a very keen fisherman and family man.
“A braai with friends and family is always just what the doctor ordered,” he says.
Having settled into to his role at The Palace and life at Sun City, Erasmus is captivated by the thrill and buzz of the resort. He also enjoys the fact that Sun City’s guests are all there to have fun, always have a moment to chat and never seem to be in a rush unless they are running late for a leisure activity.
“Stay humble, work hard and listen,” is Erasmus’s advice to young people wanting to enter a career in hospitality. As for plans up his sleeve, this master cook says he would like to not just meet, but to exceed every single guest’s expectation when they dine in any of The Palace’s restaurants.”
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