Chef Philippe Wagenfuhrer

A Chef's Journey – The Bread and Butter

Starting Out – The Ingredients:

flour + water = *starter + yeast

As baking traditional sourdough bread from scratch requires a *starter - three key ingredients; flour, water and naturally formed yeast, so a young mind requires an interest, willingness to learn, a great mentor and an indomitable spirit for practice. Both need to be born into a nurturing environment and fed correctly to grow.

The Method – Shaping:

In the first stages of its life, the *starter does not possess the ability to influence the bread but it can be used to make it.

A four year old Philippe Wagenfuhrer mentored by Uncle Ernest, a sixth generation restaurateur, wanted nothing more than to be a Chef when he grew up. Tender but undeterred, young Philippe assisted in and around his uncle's three restaurants where he could; spending his school holidays honing his skills as the years passed.

At the age of eight, Philippe was delighted to be greeted by Uncle Ernest at the airport, who, with discernible pride in his eyes, presented Philippe with a full Chef uniform tailored to his exact dimensions. Overcome with joy and feeling like the ‘real deal’, he donned his uniform right there and then. At twelve the young Philippe took control of an entire section of one of his uncle's restaurants. By the age of 14, Uncle Ernest’s prodigy had the experience of someone years his senior.

Education - Basic Tools:

Philippe was a fully qualified Chef by the age of 17 and he went on to complete a degree in hospitality and another in cooking, working with, and gaining experience with Uni7 (A group of Michelin star restaurants). His day was rigorous and he would have to fit in his studies while working until midnight and putting in gruelling full days each weekend.

Growth and Experience - Unique Development:

As the *starter matures, it develops its uniqueness and is able to influence the consistency of the bread as it bakes, its crust elasticity, the size of the air bubbles within the bread, and ultimately, the overall taste.

Chef Philippe was able to travel the globe plying his trade, developing his own unique cooking style. This led to him becoming an executive Chef at the age of 25, taking charge of three kitchens and sixty personnel. His travels to Scotland saw him gaining a Michelin star and he earned a reputation as a 'funghi' (pronounced fun guy) due to his love for wild mushrooms. His next bit of experience was to come from the islands of Barbados and Antigua, where the eclectic mix of cuisine styling intrigued him. This was also to be the birthplace of his son, Zachary.

The Influencer – Plying the Trade:

The *starter, having aged sufficiently, inevitably makes each loaf of bread its own creation, every single one unique.

Chef Philippe graced the shores of South Africa twelve years later and was employed by Billy Gallagher as an executive Chef and beverage manager at Southern Sun. While there, he worked on implementing a menu that moved away from the traditional; serving a selection of modest portions from hors d’ oeuvres to aperitifs. He was able to implement this six course menu at 'Roots' restaurant, with the challenge being that he had to accommodate religious preferences, dietary requirements and tolerances. The beauty in the concept was that no patrons would know what they were being served, requiring all customers to come in with an open mind and a sense of adventure.

The Owner – Enjoying the Bread:

Going through the journey to get to where the *starter can influence the bread, it undergoes various changes brought about by varying conditions. Ultimately, the loaf produced from the *starter can be enjoyed in a myriad of different ways.

Chef Philippe's journey brought him to a place where things had lost a bit of colour and his next step was unclear. He felt that although he had gained as much as he had, he was still missing something supremely important. One fateful day he crossed paths with a restaurant called 'EAT Bistro' and he knew he just had to have 'EAT' as a name.

Enlightenment – Rebirth:

Sometimes the old *starter dies and it is time to grow another. Conditions will change and vary but the purpose of the *starter will remain the same.

Chef realised that he had to reassess and use the tools he was given, as well as those he had acquired along his journey, for the enrichment and betterment of his patrons. Once he did this, he found his true calling; embodied in the braille nestled underneath EAT's logo: 'I was blind but now I see', marking his epiphany in the fine dining experience that is EAT.