Keegan Maistry's career as a chef began in her mother's kitchen, where she learned the value of home cooking.
Since then, he's been taken to the royal wedding in Monaco, Manchester United's rugby pitch, and some of the world's most demanding kitchens.
Now he is being taken to Mbombela where he will take on the role of The Capital Hotels Apartments and Resorts' newest chef.
Maistry's appointment marks a significant investment in the hotel's culinary identity, and his CV reads like a well-travelled recipe book.
Oyster Box Hotel catered the royal wedding of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco and introduced the first traditional South African braai to Manchester United Football Club.
In the United States, he served up to 600 guests per seat under executive chef Armando Rodriguez at the five-star Hunters Run Golf Estate in Florida, and then took over the Garde Manger section of Fishers Island Private Club, ranked 18th in the world.
He also worked with celebrity chef and culinary educator Nils Nolen in Glen Oaks, New York, and received an invitation to collaborate again in the future.
Bring your global career home
Back in South Africa, Maistry honed his skills as a sous chef at the award-winning Singita Sabi Sands, serving fine cuisine in the middle of the forest. There, the kitchen functions to the rhythm of the game drive, not the other way around.
He then served as executive chef at two of Johannesburg's largest hotels, Radisson Blu and Sandton Sun, before opening the flagship four-star Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City as executive chef.
Most recently, he led the kitchen at Rosebank's trendy Radisson Red, known for its bold, design-forward approach to hospitality.
This is the next chapter in a career built on Mbombela adapting to a new kitchen without losing sight of where it all began.
“Every kitchen I've ever worked in has taught me something, but through them all is the same thing I learned from my mother: Food should bring people together and make it feel like it means something,” Maistry says.
“At The Capital Mbombela, we want to create a menu rooted in local South African flavours, served with care at your own table.”
Night in the Four Three Mountains: A taste of South Africa
Guests will be able to get an early taste of that vision on July 25 at Maistry’s South African-themed night, “Shisanyama Night: A Taste of South Africa.”
Inspired by the Nyama Battle Street Food, the dish features beetroot, coleslaw and salsa salad, pap, sump and beans, donbolo and cornbread, morogo and chakalaka, and a meat feast that ranges from beef tripe, hard-bodied chicken, boaise, beef chuck steak, seafood curry and boboti, before finishing with malva pudding and kukushi star.
This is the kind of table made for sharing, not a table for one person.
The evening includes a Heineken draft special (R50 per draft) and live music for R395 per person. There is a casual dress code and reservations are accepted through the restaurant manager at fnb.mbombela1@thecapital.co.za.
The launch of Mystory's menu coincides with the reason for staying for an extended period of time. The Capital Mbombela is offering a 20% discount on room rates from July 24th to 26th. This gives guests the opportunity to combine Shisanzan Night with a comfortable overnight stay rather than a long drive home afterwards.
It’s fitting to showcase Maistry’s approach to building your stay in Mbombela around food, making food and accommodation work together as one seamless experience, making your stay worth it.
With Maistry now leading the kitchen, The Capital Mbombela has established itself as a complete hospitality destination in the heart of Mpumalanga, a place where global culinary pedigree meets a unique local feel, and where guests can taste the story for themselves.
