Strandfontein chef takes the helm at Gordon Ramsay restaurants in the Philippines

South African chef Shanon Peters, who grew up in Strandfontein, has landed the top position of head chef of world-renowned Gordon Ramsay Restaurants in the Philippines.

He will open and run the brand's first outlets outside the United States, namely Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips and Gordon Ramsay Street Burger.

"Both restaurants will be located side-by-side on the beautiful island of Cebu in the Philippines. Pre-opening means I have a hand in everything, from sourcing the finest ingredients, doing the research and development on the menu, to training all the staff as per the brand standards," he said.

Mr Peters' illustrious culinary career has seen him cook his way to success from shadowing as a youngster at a Cape Town restaurant in 2008 to working in Michelin-star restaurants around the world, including Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Iceland, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and now the Philippines. 

One of the most memorable moments of his career was personally cooking for soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham in 2010. "There were many more A-listers after that but this was my first," he highlighted.

But it is his mom's inspiration in the kitchen that set him on this path when he was only a teenager. "I spent loads of time in the kitchen with my mom," he said.

"And as we know, growing up in the coloured culture, family gatherings always revolved around food, whether everyone was bringing something to the table or all the aunties and grandmothers gathered in the kitchen and cooked until the late hours of the night.

"This gave me an interest in how different people prepared different dishes," he said. It comes as no surprise then to hear that his favourite Cape Flats dishes are koolkos (cabbage stew) and potjiekos. 

So what's his go-to meal after a long day in the kitchen? "My wife cooks home-made meals so no matter where in the world we are, I'm always excited to see what she's cooked when I get home. But if it’s up to me, avo, toast and tea all day!"

Mr Peters said soya sauce, paprika, black pepper and garlic are his must-have ingredients and cooking from farm to table is his happy place.

"The less processing the better. If my vegetables can come straight from the farm, my fish from the fisherman and my meat from the slaughterhouse, I'd be the happiest chef ever."

Speaking from the Philippines, Mr Peters' said his new appointment is quite special to him and his family and friends on the Cape Flats.

"This, for me, means a higher ceiling, more exposure with such a worldwide brand and the opportunity to continue travelling without changing jobs.

"Everyone is extremely proud of me because they've seen my journey from the start. I was merely 15 when I started in a professional kitchen and I kept going. They've seen the dedication and the sacrifice and I hope to be a motivation for younger chefs in the Cape Flats," he said.

While he has certainly risen to great heights, Mr Peters also understands what it means to start from the bottom.

"I spent my first three years as an intern at The Vineyard Hotel & Spa in Newlands doing all the menial work like peeling potatoes, cleaning mussels, deveining prawns and weighing ingredients. 

"But looking back at it now, I'm grateful that I got to do those things because it makes what I do now all the sweeter," he said.

He offered some advice to aspiring chefs from Mitchell’s Plain and elsewhere on the Cape Flats.

"Forget about the money. No one becomes a chef to be rich, it's a passion job. You have to love what you do. And take it all in your stride because rushing will only lead you to missing out on the basic steps.

"The culinary world is also a lifestyle. Especially in the beginning, you're going to have to sacrifice a lot of your time and dedicate it to your craft. For example, the first shift of my internship started at 4am, this was three days after my final matric exam.

"So while all my classmates were partying, I was sleeping because I would have to be up at 3am and get ready for work. Opportunity only meets preparation."

Mr Peters said he hopes his culinary journey will inspire local youth to also reach for their dreams. "If I cannot inspire the kids in the neighbourhood towards a brighter future then what is this all for," he said.