Early Morning Breakfasts Sparked Cooking Passion For Wild Coast Sun’s Sous Chef

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Rustenberg-born chef Godfrey’s favourite kitchen gadget is an airbrush which helps to ice cakes more efficiently

Wild Coast Sun’s seasoned sous chef, Godfrey Setwe, guides a team of 34 to maintain high culinary standards at Sun International’s four-star seaside resort on the border of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Born and raised in Rustenburg, the 51-year-old’s journey with the hospitality group began in 1997 when his late uncle, Michael Bogatsu, who was a pastry chef at Sun City, introduced him to the world of hospitality.

“I discovered a passion for cooking while helping with early morning breakfasts and large-scale events such as the Nedbank Golf Challenge,” Setwe said of his days as a casual worker at the iconic Rustenburg resort. “Here, I was motivated by mentors who recognised my potential, gave me constructive feedback, and encouraged me to grow. From this, I laid a foundation for my career, adding skills such as costing and menu development.”

In 2007, he became part of the Wild Coast Sun team as a chef de partie and was promoted to Sous Chef in 2018 “My role involves overseeing the team, ensuring smooth and on-time execution of kitchen’s operations, and ensuring they follow recipes, hygiene standards, and preparation procedures.” Setwe credits Gary Hastings, an executive chef; Zacharia Maseko, the resort’s former executive chef before he retired; and William Stofile, a pastry and bakery service provider at the time, for giving him the opportunity to spread his wings.

Over the past five years, Setwe has witnessed a growing demand from guests for healthy, sustainable, and locally sourced food. “Our guests, particularly those from Indian backgrounds, enjoy vegetarian and plant-based meals,” he said. “They are curious to know where their food comes from and how it is made.” Consumers want to feel good about what they eat, and brands are leaning into it. From keeping ingredient lists simple to curating decadent flavours, companies are recognising that people care about how food feels beyond how it tastes.

His most-oft repeated advice to his kitchen brigade is: “Follow the recipe to make sure you get it right”, and his favourite kitchen gadget is an airbrush, which helps to ice cakes more efficiently.”

Amateur chefs will be relieved to know that even Setwe has his own struggles working with gelatine. “It requires precision measurements to avoid a dish either not setting or being too firm,” he said.

His culinary roots are deeply tied to his childhood. “My mother used to make bread similar to vetkoek in a three-legged pot over the fire, and I still recall the taste and smell today.”

When it comes to cooking for himself and his 16-year-olds, Setwe’s comfort food is macaroni and cheese. “I love lobster, but having grown up inland, am not a fan of mussels or oysters although I do I enjoy fresh hake and prawns.” Herbs, spices, and flavourings are staples in Setwe’s kitchen.

Having begun his career in pastry, Setwe still enjoys baking, and dreams of owning a coffee shop one day. “The South Coast is beautiful, with its temperate climate and beaches. Even though I can’t swim, I love spending time by the sea.”

Asked what he enjoys most about his job, Setwe said he cherished the relationships and experiences his career brings. “I’ve met different people, built friendships, and explored new places through my work.”

Setwe and Executive Chef, Georgina Hill, have shared valentine’s day inspired recipes for the sweet tooth.

Godfrey Setwe’s Homemade Chocolate Brownie

32 units / 0.092g weight

Baking ingredients:

· Chocex Dark 0.800g

· Butter unsalted 0.400g

· Sugar white/Brown 0.900g

· Cake Flour 1 kg

· Baking Powder 0.010g

· Vanilla Essence 0.015ml

· Peacan Nut 0.300g

On the plate ingredients

· Almond flake 0.010g

· Honey ½ teaspoon

· Chocolate shavings 0.010g

· Red cherry 0.006g

· Chocolate dark ganache0.030g

· Chocolate white ganache 0.015g

· Butter cream 0.012g

· Pinch of gold dust

Method:

Melt Chocolate

· Place the chocolate, butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring until it is smooth.

· Set the chocolate aside to cool.

Beat Eggs & Sugar

· Use an electric mixer on high speed to whip the eggs in a large bowl.

· Continue for several minutes, until they turn pale in color and the batter is thick and velvety, then mix in the vanilla extract.

Swirl in Melted Chocolate

· Put away your electric mixer and use a rubber spatula or a whisk for the remaining steps.

· Pour the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture and stir gently.

Fold in Flour

· Stir in the flour, but do not overmix, as that will make the brownies dense and tough.

Stir in Chocolate Chips

· When a little bit of flour is still visible, stir in the chocolate chips.

· You can add nuts at this point, too.

Bake

· Use a metal pan lined with parchment paper.

· Pour the brownie batter into the parchment-lined baking pan and spread it smooth, pressing the batter into the corners.

· Use an instant thermometer and remove the brownies when the center is between 180°-195°F (82°-91°C).

Georgina Hill’s Vegan Lemon Tart

1 Medium Tart – 6 slices

Crust ingredients:

· 1 ½ cups almond flour (I just blitz almond flakes to a powder)

· ½ cup coconut flour (-I just blitz desiccated coconut until fine)

· ¼ cup coconut oil – melted

· ¼ cup maple syrup

Crust method:

· If making your own flour – blitz the ingredients until fine, then add the liquids and mix.

· Spray a pan or pie pan with spray and cook, press down into pan spreading out as smoothly as possible and bake in a preheated oven (170 degrees) for 10 minutes – let cool slightly before adding the filling.

Filling ingredients:

· 1 can coconut milk

· 1 cup lemon juice (I used bottled but fresh works just fine)

· ¾ cup maple syrup

· 1 cup corn flour

· 4 lemons zest

Filling method:

· Mix the liquids and then add the corn flour – making sure the mixture is cold when adding to avoid the lumps.

· Place on a low heat and bring to boiling point – stirring continually.

· Now pour into your prepared base and bake for 12 minutes.

· Once the tart has reached room temp after baking – place in the fridge to complete setting.

Garnish