Rudi Liebenberg was appointed The Montenotte Hotel’s new executive chef earlier this year and he has been working alongside the team to elevate the hotel’s food and beverage offering to even greater heights. Using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients within the dishes, Rudi resonates with The Montenotte Hotel’s vision of creating a relaxed yet holistic approach to the dining experience and specifically the use of fresh and seasonal produce to ensure that the ingredients keep their natural flavour.
Born and bred in South Africa, Rudi’s experience covers multiple areas within the hospitality industry; from large and small boutique five-star properties to exclusive catering events, high-end corporate catering and exclusive fine dining rooms, restaurants, bars, bistros, and high-end concept driven brasseries.
With over 30 years of experience, Rudi is a talented and conscious chef and, prior to joining The Montenotte Hotel, he was executive chef for over 13 years at The Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, an exclusive five-star property which is rated within the top five in the country.
We sat down with the culinary heavyweight to find out more.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, including where you are today, professionally, and what got you here?
I started working as executive chef at The Montenotte Hotel earlier this year, following a long career in South Africa, where I held the position as executive chef at the Belmond Mount Nelson for over 13 years and, previously, The Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg. Taking the step to relocate to Ireland was a huge career move for me and I’m so excited to be working alongside The Montenotte Hotel’s kitchen team, bringing new techniques, energy, and knowledge to The Panorama Restaurant.
What or who inspired you to become a chef?
Initially I didn’t want to be a chef, I wanted to be an artist, but then gathered a real interest in food at home. My mum wanted me to be an engineer. She was a brilliant cook herself, but was also an accountant, so she spent a lot of time away from home. She taught me to cook over the phone, whilst she was working. I was then determined to be a chef and started working in a pizzeria when I was 17 and then I went to a technical school which had a hotel department – I knew I had made the right move!
What’s your signature dish?
To be honest, I don’t have a specific signature dish. My food ethos is to look at every food item and – knowing that there are two parts to every dish, the primary cut, and the secondary cut – develop both, enhance the dish and ensure there is little or no waste.
What are the most important considerations when crafting your menu?
For me, the most important considerations when crafting my menu are sustainability and using fresh ingredients, I always allow the produce to do the talking when curating my menus. I am hugely passionate about using the finest quality of local ingredients to create a menu of varied, seasonal, and approachable dishes. However, when I write a menu, my main consideration is the waste element and how I develop this into every dish. Finally, I want my menus to be enjoyed by all types of diners whilst overlooking the beautiful views of Cork city here at The Montenotte Hotel.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a chef?
I absolutely love art and would be pursuing this passion if I wasn’t a chef. I’m an aspiring artist myself, and often find that combining my artistic skills enhances my cooking. When designing a new dish, I often visualise all the ingredients and sketch them on paper, before bringing them to life in the kitchen.
When are you happiest?
The obvious answer is whilst in the kitchen! I love creating new dishes and really experimenting with different flavour combinations and sensations. I always choose the freshest local ingredients to experiment with, which gives my menu that extra flair. Finding a food item, that has previously been a ‘throw away item’ and bringing that to life in a dish, gives me great pleasure.
Outside the kitchen, down-time is important and I love to walk and hike. It’s also really vital for me to have some peace and quiet around me, which brings me happiness.
What is your favourite piece of kitchen equipment?
The obvious answer here is my knife but, honestly, it’s a Thermomix and a mincer.
When you’re not in the kitchen where can you be found?
With a paintbrush in hand! I pride myself in not only being a chef, but also an artist and spend my free time creating art and experimenting with different techniques. As mentioned before, I love to walk and hike and now I get to explore Ireland as well which has the most amazing greenways and walks.
What differences do you find working with local produce as opposed to non-local produce in terms of what you can create and flavour?
In Ireland, I am beyond impressed with the quality of the beef, the lamb and all the dairy produce, but the challenge we have is that not everything grows in Ireland, and some sacrifices must be made. The quality of fish in Ireland is exceptional and the choices available to us are unbelievable and that’s why we have a Market Fish of the Day on our menus each day and our proximity to The English Market here in Cork city, is a real bonus.
Where is your favourite place to dine?
I do love 51 Cornmarket here in Cork city and I also love Salsify at the Roundhouse in Cape Town, South Africa.
What’s your favourite flavour combination?
I love combining local Irish produce with the influence of both South Africa and Europe, creating seasonal dishes that represent an experiential approach to my menu. Specifically, I love making a unique menu ingredient shine without having to over-season.
What is the USP of your restaurant?
The Panorama Restaurant, the hub of the hotel, allows guests to feast on traditional Irish favourites such as Galway Bay mussels, local scallops, and Irish beef whilst The Panorama Terrace is the ideal location for cocktails overlooking the city. Our USP is focused on the beautiful panoramic views of Cork city, and our menu of delicious, traditional Irish produce.
What do your future plans entail?
We have lots of very exciting plans coming up for The Montenotte Hotel, with the launch of our brand-new Woodland Suites Experience early next year. My future is centered around growing with The Montenotte Hotel and pushing our food and beverage offering to new heights, with new menus, exciting partnerships and much more.
Factbox
Address: Middle Glanmire Rd, Montenotte, Cork, T23 E9DX, Ireland
Phone: +353 21 453 0050
Website: themontenottehotel.com
All imagery used in this article credit: The Montenotte Hotel
