Category Archives: The Royal Palm Hotel

Royal Palm Hotel gives praise to their Junior Chef this Women’s Month!

CHEFEshowe born Siphesihle Khumalo (28) fulfils the role of Junior Chef at Royal Palm Hotel.

Having completed her matric at Mafunda High School, she went on to complete her Chef Certificate through Ethekwini College.

In 2013, Khumalo took up a position as a Sculler at the Royal Palm Hotel. A year later, through hard work and dedication, she was promoted to Junior Chef where she currently works.

Her main duties at the Royal Palm Hotel include preparing the breakfasts, and banqueting dishes. She is also in charge of preparing the a la carte dishes for dinner- all while making sure that certain levels of hygiene are met.

Her favourite dish is braised oxtail. All you need is “1 kg oxtail, celery, leeks, carrots, onions, tomatoes, red wine and lots of care and love,” she says.

She has a passion for cooking and creating dishes that make people happy, but when she’s not busy in the Royal Palm Hotel kitchen, she can be found at home with her two children, who keep her on her toes!

Chef Siphesihle dreams of one day opening her own restaurant, where she can continue to showcase her love for food.

Her advice for anyone starting in this industry, is to: “love yourself, love what you do and be happy”.

This Women’s Month we acknowledge those ladies who are making their mark in every Segment of South Africa.

Getting the details right at a women’s day conference

August 9th is the celebration of Women’s Day and a number of events are hosted in relation to this commemorative day.

In order to host a conference specific to Women’s Day you may want to consider some elements to make it a memorable occasion. In most cases, a conference of this sort is aimed at women only so there are a number of factors that need to be considered as well.

Time of day: Host your conference at breakfast or lunch, as it is always best for women specifically as they usually have commitments in the evening and many also do not like to travel alone at night.

Food: The food you provide will also be determined by the time of day you host the conference. You may also want to consider a high tea style breakfast where pastries and eats are situated on each table and waiters serve tea and coffee. This is also a nice setup for the ladies to interact with one another.

Décor: When it comes to a ladies-only function, it is always best to choose décor that is feminine with floral accents. Incorporating a theme is also a way of breaking the ice between ladies that are not familiar with each other. Themes such as “Mad Hatter” have come up at many a function and encourage the ladies to don a hat of some sort, however other themes such as vintage, denim and diamonds and others have also been popular. The ideas are endless.

Entertainment: It is always best to incorporate some sort of entertainment if the women are being addressed by a keynote speaker. This could be in the form of a female comedian, singer or similar. If there is an auction taking place, it is always good nature to inform the ladies upon invitation so that they are able to prepare in advance. The same would apply for a fundraiser.

“If planning a women’s day conference is on the cards for you this year, then these few tips should assist in making the day a success. At Royal Palm Hotel we have all the necessities, and professional experience to make any function flow smoothly,” Says Simon Bailey (General Manager of Royal Palm Hotel).

For more information on where to host your women’s day event, contact Royal Palm Hotel on 031 581 8000