Recreation Africa

Meet Anne Marie Adam

Anne Marie is the new Head Chef of Misty Hills Hotel, Conference Centre & Spa and we are excited to welcome her aboard. From the onset, we were confident that she would fit in well as her and our Group Executive Chef, Ryan Houston, share something in common – passion for food! And, if there is one thing we at Misty Hills agree with Donald Trump,

it is that; “Without passion you don't have energy, without energy you have nothing” – we therefore welcome passion in all aspects of our business.

Anne Marie’s passion for food was cultivated at a very early age when she used to spend time on their family farm in Limpopo. Here, they would live off the land which meant lots of fresh, organic and healthy ingredients at meal times.  She particularly remembers the giant strawberries and the homemade Boerewors they made together as a family. Anne Marie’s grandmother used to be up by 4 am every morning and by the time everyone got to the breakfast table, there would be this wondrous spread of farm fresh produce waiting to be consumed. Needless to say, grandma had a little helper who was already honing her culinary skills from a young age.

It was clear what she wanted to pursue and when the time came, Anne Marie studied to be a chef with the International Hotel School (IHS). Here, she attained a City and Guilds and AHLA International Diploma.

After attaining her qualification, Anne Marie was fortunate to have worked with some of the best in the business including Chefs Heinz Bruner and Bruce Burns amongst others. She predominantly gained experience in the area of banqueting and events but also had a fair amount of exposure to fine dining having worked at various fine dining restaurants in hotels such as the Michael Angelo and the Hilton.

Anne Marie also worked at Johannesburg Theatre where she gained a great deal of experience, steadily moving up the ranks from complex Sous Chef to Executive Chef to Group Executive Chef of the City of Johannesburg theatres. Here she covered huge events such as the City Budget Speech, the Mandela Memorial, Soweto Drumbeat Festival and the Caxton News Awards. This was a rewarding experience which taught her how to maintain quality, standards and composure during high pressure, high profile functions.

We welcome Anne Marie and hope to see her continue to grow as chef while taking our guests on a culinary journey with every meal.