Time and again as we walk on the streets of the Kampala, we are tempted to stop by a cafe or a restaurant for a delicious bite . It is surely unimaginable a world without the aroma of food. Food makes love, food builds long lasting partnership and for as long as man will live, food will always be a lucrative business

But always in the background of the food industry are the "magicians" who turn raw into the finest of dishes. Men and Women whose ingenuity has seen the birth of master class dishes as well as recipes that leave us in awe of the power of food.

In order to give you a sneak peek of what transpires in the food industry before you decide to join and what a career as a chef entails, we caught up of the Chef Charles, a Chef at Javas Cafe on Bombo Road and this is what we asked

Who is Chef Charles?

Am a young, ambitious and motivated food handler willing to make my own restaurant.

What is a typical day like for Chef Charles?

I reach work at 5:30 am dress up in my chefs uniform first, switch on all the machines that are needed then proceed to preparing breakfast.I do prepare breakfast as the orders come in. When breakfast is done, i then switch to preparing Lunch order.

Do you in any way specialize on what dishes to cook or you cook whatever dish you are told to cook?

I don't specialize is any dishes . I do many many dishes in different section in the kitchen.

Why did you choose to become a chef of all careers out there in the world?

Strange but true but i have always wanted to cook since high school and when opportunity presented its self, i didn't look any further

Is the profession well paying?

Well not as much, pay day is average

So what are your main tasks and responsibilities at work?

Am a team player who is responsible for training my juniors.

What's cool about your job? 

Cooking is a very interesting thing as it allows you to explore and come up with new amazing dishes

Any challenges ?

Well a couple as the job entails standing long hours and at the end the pay is average

What particular skills do you bring to your workplace ?

The ability to research and come up new dishes as well as new ways of preparing traditional dishes

Elaborate more on the kind of research you do in the food industry?

Research in the food industry entails finding out how given cafes or restaurants are doing a given dish, the process involved, the cost effectiveness of cooking process, consistency and ascertaining the value of quality from those processes.

What subjects did you take in school and how have they influenced your career path

Literature is one of the subjects i did while at school. It has greatly helped in communicating with my juniors and superiors at my work place.

What is your Education to date?

I have a Certificate in general cookery, pastry and bakery which i obtained from YMCA

What aspects of your Education System / training have proven most important for your job?

Cooking is surely about practice. The more experience you have the better, during school days i seriously engage my self in cooking practicals which have helped me learn on the different behaviors of certain types of food

Any visible trends in the food industry?

I am seeing alot of consistency and technical uplift in the ways for is being prepared and handled

Any personal characteristics required for the job as a chef ?

Discipline , time management and general cleanliness are of paramount importance

Is there any one who influenced you to pursue this career ?

Was greatly inspired by a chef at 12 lanterns restaurant called Marius Gadow 

What is your dream job? 

To become a master chef some day

What have been the most rewarding events in your career so far?

Elevating my juniors to recognizable level of influence.

As a student, how did you cope up with the pressure to succeed / excel in class?

Well given the fact that i was an orphan, i literally had no option other than working hard. To those that relate with my experience as an orphan, the advise i can give them is to be strong since it's not the end of it all. To keep their heads up! Let them not be distracted or taken up by peer pressure, let them pray to God for wisdom and devine intervention. I grew up in a Christian family and it greatly contributed to my success in school

Any final remarks

Experiment is the only way you can use the knowledge you have at your disposal. Everything else is imaginery and poetry