Zoe Du Toit
Cape Town
Summary
Bright and passionate Professional Chef with a rich, foundational background in baking since childhood. Cultivates a warm, people-first approach to teamwork and guest service, driven by a deep love for food and travel. A dynamic and quick-learning professional who brings fresh creativity, a joyful attitude, and a strong desire for continuous culinary growth to a welcoming kitchen team
Overview
2
2
Languages
4
4
years of professional experience
Work History
Chef Developer - Under Training
Woolworths South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
01.2026 - Current
- Deconstruct fine-dining trends to create commercialised, high-volume recipe specifications matching scale capabilities.
- Collaborated cross-functionally with culinary developers, industrial suppliers, and category buyers to ensure structural product consistency, improving overall product quality.
- Trained within corporate food innovation departments to design, formulate, and test premium retail consumer food products, enhancing product offerings.
- Contributed to corporate food innovation departments, driving advancements in product development processes.
- Document precision ingredient matrices, production yields, raw material tracking, and process flow protocols.
Eat out awards
Woolworths
Cape town, South Africa
03.2026 - 03.2026
- Maintained clean and tidy appearance with protective equipment to ensure safety and hygiene standards.
- Cleaned and sanitised crockery, cutlery, and service utensils to uphold cleanliness and service quality.
- Stored food safely and at correct temperatures.
- Prepared raw ingredients for kitchen staff.
- Assisted catering manager in developing marketing tactics, enhancing visibility and reach of catering services.
Culinary Trainee
Jan resturant
Nice, france
12.2025 - 12.2025
- Acquired high-end international culinary exposure operating under the technical brand vision of South Africa's first Michelin-starred chef.
- Executed meticulous ingredient prep adhering to rigorous global quality metrics within a high-pressure, fast-paced French brigade.
- Assisted with precision plating and architectural assembly of heritage-inspired fine dining elements.
- Upheld exceptional food hygiene and workspace sanitization controls complying with stringent European culinary laws.
- Operating under the technical brand vision of South Africa's first Michelin-starred chef.
- Maintained clean, safe working environments to eliminate accident risks.
- Achieved service time and quality targets.
Student Chef
De Volkskombuis
Stellenbosch, South Africa
06.2025 - 11.2025
- Monitored cooking times for efficient use of ovens and other equipment.
- Monitored product appearance and temperature to determine baking times.
- Baked pastries bread, pies and pastries for customers.
- Maintained an up-to-date knowledge of pastry trends, continuously innovating and expanding the dessert menu offerings.
Trainee -
Vuur Restaurant
Stellenbosch, South Africa
01.2024 - 11.2025
- Contributed to live service kitchen flow for a celebrated, highly acclaimed regional Eat Out Star-rated culinary destination.
- Prepared artisanal bases, complex elements, and delicate reduction sauces ahead of intensive fire-cooking dinner cycles.
- Executed detailed components under direct oversight of the executive team during high-pressure live seatings.
- Celebrated, highly acclaimed regional Eat Out Star-rated culinary destination.
- Maintained organised and updated file systems for easy staff use.
- Contributed to project management tasks, tracking progress and coordinating with team members for timely completion.
- Collaborated with management and team members on end-to-end project needs, organising materials, facilitating communication and proofreading work.
- Participated in brainstorming sessions, offering innovative ideas for project improvements and problem-solving.
- Engaged with customers to better understand needs and deliver excellent service.
- Built and maintained courteous and effective working relationships.
- Actively listened to customers to fully understand requests and address concerns.
- Developed excellent working knowledge of industry trends and improvements in processes.
Chef's Assistant - Event Catering
Merwida Wine Estate
Rawsonville, South Africa
01.2023 - 11.2025
- Executed fast-paced event line cooking and precision plate hand-offs during prominent, large-scale annual Wine & Dine banquets.
- Prepped delicate cold-line canapés, salmon fish cakes, and custom roasted elements under the mentorship of Chef Shawn Godfrey.
- Prominent, large-scale annual Wine & Dine banquets.
Trainee - Pastry & Room Dining
Lord Charles Hotel
Somerset West, South Africa
11.2024 - 12.2024
- Supported daily production cycles across a busy standalone hotel pastry division and multi-outlet hot kitchen lines.
- Produced artisanal flatbreads, high-volume banquet wraps, confectionery bases, brownies, and intricate plated desserts from scratch.
- Busy standalone hotel pastry division and multi-outlet hot kitchen lines.
Chef Developer - Under Training
Meat Lovers Butchery
Worcester, South Africa
02.2024 - 04.2024
- Mastered practical meat handling, custom processing breakdowns, sausage production casing techniques, and biltong curing setups.
- Imprinted comprehensive industrial food safety knowledge, zero-waste meat utilization metrics, and cold-chain integrity controls.
Front of House Waitress
Waffle Mill
Stellenbosch, South Africa
01.2023 - 11.2023
- Optimized order queues and table turnarounds inside a rapid-turnover environment, building agile communication and workflow dexterity.
- Kept dining area tidy, clearing tables and resetting them for new guests in a timely manner.
- Delivered meals and beverages promptly, ensuring orders were correct and met customer satisfaction.
- Delivered friendly and fast service to process high-volume food and drink orders at peak times.
Education
Pastry Diploma -
Culinary Training and Innovation Academy (CTIA)
StellenboschCulinary Arts Diploma -
Culinary Training and Innovation Academy (CTIA)
StellenboschCharcuterie Innovation Specialty Block -
Culinary Training and Innovation Academy (CTIA)
StellenboschConfectionary Innovation Specialty Block -
Culinary Training and Innovation Academy (CTIA)
StellenboschFoundation Phase Core Program -
Culinary Training and Innovation Academy (CTIA)
StellenboschSkills
- Culinary Product Development
- Commercial Recipe Scaling
- Recipe Development
- Trend forecasting
- Food safety compliance
- Food safety compliance compliance
- Kitchen logistics
- Advanced Pastry & Confectionery
- Charcuterie & Curing Systems
- Plating artistry
- Cross-functional teamwork
- Culinary Customer Insights
Custom
- Culinary Product Development
- Commercial Recipe Scaling
- Trend Forecasting & Ideation
- Advanced Pastry & Confectionary
- Charcuterie & Curing Systems
- HACCP & Food Safety Compliance
- High-Volume Kitchen Logistics
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Precision Plating & Artistry
Languages
English
Advanced
C1
Afrikaans
Upper Intermediate
B2
References
- OELOF ELS – CTIA LECTURER | 📞 021 000 3477
- LIEZA VAN DE MERWE – MERWIDA WINE ESTATE | 📞 023 349 1144
- SIOME JARDIM – CEO, WAFFLE MILL | 📞 074 552 9094
- ADAM SONDAY – MANAGER, MEAT LOVERS | 📞 061 444 7875
- CHEF KJ – SENIOR CHEF, LORD CHARLES | 📞 078 694 3313
- SHAUN SCROOBY – OWNER/CHEF, VUUR RESTAURANT | 📞 083 600 4500
- TENEILLE – HEAD CHEF, JAN NICE | 📞 081 052 3445
Accomplishments
- Won best pastry student during my second year.
- Top 17 Kookedoor shortlist entry, got to cook in the masterchef kitchen.
- Took part in young chefs RCL cooking competion.
Timeline
Eat out awards
Woolworths
03.2026 - 03.2026
Chef Developer - Under Training
Woolworths South Africa
01.2026 - Current
Culinary Trainee
Jan resturant
12.2025 - 12.2025
Student Chef
De Volkskombuis
06.2025 - 11.2025
Trainee - Pastry & Room Dining
Lord Charles Hotel
11.2024 - 12.2024
Chef Developer - Under Training
Meat Lovers Butchery
02.2024 - 04.2024
Trainee -
Vuur Restaurant
01.2024 - 11.2025
Chef's Assistant - Event Catering
Merwida Wine Estate
01.2023 - 11.2025
Front of House Waitress
Waffle Mill
01.2023 - 11.2023
Pastry Diploma -
Culinary Training and Innovation Academy (CTIA)
Culinary Arts Diploma -
Culinary Training and Innovation Academy (CTIA)
Charcuterie Innovation Specialty Block -
Culinary Training and Innovation Academy (CTIA)
Confectionary Innovation Specialty Block -
Culinary Training and Innovation Academy (CTIA)
Foundation Phase Core Program -
Culinary Training and Innovation Academy (CTIA)