Chef's Corner

Martin Kobald - National Executive Chef

Chef to the stars
Martin Kobald has had a number of starring roles during his career as a chef, most notably as personal chef to actor Will Smith and director Michael Mann during the 2001 filming of 'Ali' in Mozambique.

Kobald, who is the National Executive Chef at Fedics and oversees the kitchens in over 600 Fedics units around the country, is originally from Austria and upon a visit to South Africa in the late 1980s fell in love with the country.

"I had worked my way up from trainee chef to sous chef, chef de partie and head of department in various hotels and restaurants in Austria and was delighted when I was offered a position by Southern Sun as a chef de partie here in Johannesburg."

Kobald and his fiancée, also a chef, immigrated to South Africa, as the potential of the country was evident then already.

"I could not speak much English but this didn't stop me and I held several positions within the Southern Sun Group."

He counts a number of achievements with the company as important stepping-stones to success in the local hospitality industry.

In 1995 Martin realised his entrepreneurial dream and started an Austrian delicatessen, Kobald's Catering. He followed this up with the purchase of the Modderfontein 33 High Street Restaurant and Bar, where he delighted Gauteng restaurant-goers with his traditional Austrian fare for four years, before starting Nucleus Conference and Function with two multi-purpose conference venues in Modderfontein.

Kobald is also the president of the South African Chefs Association (SACA), which as the second largest chefs association in the world enables him to oversee a number of projects aimed at promoting the association and its work.

He has been involved with SACA since he first came to South Africa and joined Southern Sun. Kobald served as chairman of the Gauteng region of SACA from 1994 to 1999, and in 2000 he was appointed to the board of directors, with the portfolio of overseas promotions. In 2003 he took over as president of SACA.

Although he has a penchant for creating food, Kobald will not easily return to running his own establishment. "I really enjoy the corporate side of the industry, and get to spend a lot of time with my family this way. Family time is a very important aspect of my life, and when you have your own restaurant, you don't get to see your kids grow up."