Well-known chef, culinary consultant and co-author of Tasty WasteNOTS, Chef Jason Whitehead has more than 20 years of experience in the culinary world. His career involves working not only as a Private Chef to the rich and famous, including Meg Ryan and the Oppenheimer family, but also at some of the city’s best eateries, both in the kitchen and front of house. After successfully opening his own restaurant and later selling it, he now offers his considerable marketing and consulting talents to restaurateurs, and we’re very happy to be able to share his insights as a hospitality leader with you, our readers.

What is your story?

I am a trained chef turned marketing manager turned chef again, and now I am a restaurant consultant, in a nutshell.

Explain who you are to the industry in a couple of sentences.

I am a well-known South African chef based in Cape Town.  I have owned my own successful restaurant and am a published cookbook author.  I now focus on helping clients with start-up restaurants as well consulting to existing restaurants, to either revive their menu offerings or marketing strategies.

How is the South African hospitality industry different from those in different countries that you’ve worked in?

In the UK for instance, a lot of the restaurants are owned by a holding company, so the management infrastructure is different, ie. you will have one marketing manager who will take care of three different restaurants / brands. The systems in place are usually a lot more stringent, so food costs for instance are calculated weekly to be submitted to head office, which allows the supporting management team to identify any issues or snags as and when they happen.  This in turn ensures the longevity and profitability of the business, which is why the average lifespan of a restaurant is longer abroad than what it is here in SA.

What are some of the overall issues that you’ve seen affect the hospitality industry in SA?

Reputation management – everyone in SA seems to be a self proclaimed restaurant critic, which is fine, but the way in which the restaurants management / owners respond to these is crucial and often not handled correctly.

What are some of the challenges that the industry is facing at the moment and how are you addressing these challenges?

Being aware of environmental issues, such as the water crisis here in the Western Cape.  This is not just the Premiers problem or political parties problem, it is up to ALL of us to make the small changes that need to be made to ensure we do not run out of water.  Another big issue is the blatant ignorance of some restaurants who still use plastic straws, which are killing our marine life.

What are some of your focuses at the moment and going into the new year?

More healthy alternatives on menus.  Today, successful restaurant owners should focus on the changing purchasing habits of consumers.  For example, today’s statistics show that 70% of adults say the availability of healthy menu options is what makes them choose one restaurant over another.

How do you see yourself fitting into the South African hospitality industry?

By being current and innovative.  Staying on top of food trends and listening to what their guests want.

How do you engage your brand to the local SA market?   

Social media plays a big part in this – posting often with relevant information on industry.

What are your goals for future excellence in the local industry?

To keep learning and keeping up to date with current trends, and then setting our own.

Lets talk Sustainability and the steps you have taken to make a difference here?

Trying to support local producers.  I support local urban organic farmers, such as the farms set up by Khulisa & Streetscapes, who turn unused urban spaces into fruit, veg and herb farms run by the less fortunate, in this particular case, the homeless.

How do you incentivize and motivate staff as an organisation?

Be the best person you can be.  It all starts at the top – “if you look after your staff, the customers will take care of themselves”.

Trend Prediction for the local industry?

Again, more healthy alternatives, especially when it comes to vegan and vegetarian offerings.

Jason Whitehead’s Pop Quiz

If you were going to teach a college course, what course would you teach? 

Hospitality Marketing

What leader or leaders do you look up to and why? 

Chef proprietors who making a name for themselves, such as Jan Hendrick Van Der Westhuizen & Vineet Bhatia.

What is one truth you believe in that most people disagree with you on? 

Accommodating even the pickiest of guests, ie.  if you are vegan and there are no vegan options on the menu, make a plan to make them something special.  If you have the ingredients in the kitchen, use some creativity and make something just for them.  You as the chef gets to be creative and you get to win a guest for life – it’s a win-win situation.

What’s one assumption people make about you that is dead wrong?

That I am SO lucky to be so busy – social media often only reflects ones success’s, but at the end of the day I work really hard and it is not always easy.  I had the toughest winter this year that I have ever had, but I always try to remain optimistic and never share my desperation in tough times on social media.

 

Who is your mentor/s and what recent challenge/s have you sought their advice for?

Hospitality is a tough industry, and often like-minded people in your industry don’t like to see you succeed.  It’s an ‘each to their own’ industry unfortunately and sometimes you just got to pull yourself through and believe that you have what it takes to succeed.

Tell me about a time when you had to make a tough business decision that supported your company’s purpose, but may have had a negative, short-term financial impact.

I have had to turn away consultancy jobs, even when I was desperate for the work, because I did not believe that the client had what it took to make it in the restaurant game.  You are only as good as your last job, and I won’t put my name to something that I don’t have 100% confidence that the business would be a success.

If you could go back and give your 21-year old self a valuable piece of advice, what would you say? 

Stop stressing, the grey hairs are inevitable. Enjoy the ride.

As you think about your career, who is a team member you had a huge impact on and what are they doing today as a result of your leadership?

There are a few that I can think of. I have made many a dishwasher a competent chef in my years.

If you could work on solving any problem in the world, what one problem would it be? 

Countries without borders and equal opportunities for education to the less fortunate.

What is your leadership philosophy? 

To always lead by example.

What specific mental, physical, emotional and/or spiritual activities do you engage in to keep yourself operating at your optimum level? 

I am fortunate enough to live in a forest, where I can take long walks or runs in fresh air whenever I have some free time. A glass of wine every night helps, too.

What are you learning right now?

To be kinder to myself – I am often my own worst enemy and worst critic.

Favourite Inspirational Business Quote?

“Success without INTEGRITY is failure”