At Aquila, every meal is part of the guest experience. Behind the scenes, Resident Chef Walkin and his wife, Carley, work together to create generous, flavourful dishes for guests from around the world.
We sat down and interviewed Chef Walkin to learn more about his journey, his inspiration, and the heart behind Aquila’s food offering.
Read the entire interview below:
Can you tell us a little about your journey into the culinary world?
Chef Walkin: I have always enjoyed cooking. I started cooking professionally at the age of 16 in 2010, when I enrolled at 1000 Hills Chef School, one of the top culinary schools in South Africa. I was moulded by the highly skilled hands of Chef Dixi, and since then I have travelled abroad and throughout South Africa, working under numerous talented chefs and building the repertoire of skills I have today.
What first inspired you to become a chef?
Chef Walkin: I loved seeing how people enjoyed food that I had cooked for them. I remember making an apple crumble for my family when I was about 12 years old. My uncle jokingly asked me for the recipe so he could make it even better than mine, and from then on it became a thing. Every family function had to have Walkin’s apple crumble.
Who or what has had the biggest influence on your cooking style?
Chef Walkin: My first chef, Chef Dixi, had a huge influence on me. She knew absolutely everything about food. She was like a walking cooking encyclopaedia, and I wanted to have that same knowledge at my disposal. That made me want to keep learning and expanding my mind in every area of the kitchen.
Are there any chefs, family traditions or cultural influences that still shape the way you cook today?
Chef Walkin: Yes, definitely. When I was younger, I drew a lot of inspiration from Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay. There were two programmes I used to watch before celebrity chefs became such a big thing, and those chefs had a big impact on me. Family traditions played a role, especially growing up with braais and cooking for the people around me.
What continues to inspire you in the kitchen at this stage of your career?
Chef Walkin: Not only in the kitchen, but in life too, I always try to be better than I was yesterday. Whether it is how I cook, how I handle situations, or how I interact with people. I try to improve in every area. And of course, my wife is a big reason I keep pushing myself to be better.
You share chef responsibilities with your wife. What is it like working so closely together in a professional kitchen?
Chef Walkin: We met in the kitchen and have worked together ever since, so we have a very good understanding of one another. We know how to handle operations in the absence of one another, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
How do the two of you divide responsibilities when planning and preparing meals?
Chef Walkin: We share the responsibility of managing the kitchen equally. We are both all-rounders and can work in any section of the kitchen. Carley tends to oversee the cold and pastry section, especially because she is a self-taught pastry chef, while I focus more on recipe development for the hot section, as well as sauces, dressings and pickles.
What strengths does each of you bring to the culinary team at Aquila?
Chef Walkin: Carley has a very sharp eye for presentation. She adds huge value when it comes to the buffet, functions and special events. She is a excellent with the overall set-up and visual side of service. I am more involved in recipe development, operations, ordering equipment and sorting out maintenance issues. When a new dish goes onto the buffet, I usually cook it, trial it and get the final approval to implement it.
Aquila offers a buffet experience for overnight guests as well as at the day trip centre. How do you approach creating menus for such a wide range of guests?
Chef Walkin: We trial and taste new dishes before putting them on the menu and get feedback from the relevant people. If we all agree that it is good, then it goes onto the menu. It is important to make sure what we serve works well for a wide variety of guests.
What is the vision behind the buffet dining experience at Aquila?
Chef Walkin: Fresh, ethically sourced, well-cooked food, made with love. That is the key ingredient to any good cooking.
What are some of the standout dishes guests tend to love most?
Chef Walkin: The Cape Malay lamb curry is always a hit, and so is the venison station we do for dinner. Guests also really enjoy the homemade sauces and dressings, especially our homemade chilli sauce and spring onion dressing.
How do you balance variety, quality and consistency across breakfast, lunch and supper service?
Chef Walkin: Taste, taste, taste. We taste everything to make sure it is up to standard.
What is your favourite dish to prepare at Aquila, and why?
Chef Walkin: For me, it has to be the butter chicken curry. It is prepared in a Durban way, which is where I am from, so it is something that hits close to home.
Is there a dish that best represents you as a chef?
Chef Walkin: I do not think it is about one specific dish. I believe that any dish you make should be done to the best of your ability, no matter how simple it is. It must be done correctly. Time and temperature are key.
What do you enjoy most about serving guests in a place like Aquila?
Chef Walkin: The wide variety of different cultures we get to cater for.
What are you most proud of in the work you and your wife do together?
Chef Walkin: The development of the staff, for sure. Watching them grow and learn new skills has got to be the proudest part of our job.
Chef Walkin’s story is one of passion, discipline and genuine love for food. Together with his wife Carley, he helps shape a dining experience at Aquila that is warm, generous and full of care. From guest favourites on the buffet to the growth of the kitchen team, their work is about more than meals, it is about creating something memorable every day.
