Janine Camenzuli

1. Tell us about your educational background and your work experience to date.
For most of my life I studied to become an accountant, two years from graduating B.Com Accountancy, I finally decided it wasn’t what I really wanted to do and the day of my last final exam, I quit my accounting job and decided to see how I’d do in catering. I have never looked back since. I had already been cooking for people and making cakes from home for a while and ever since I remember, I was obsessed with cooking and food. My mother has definitely been my biggest inspiration as well as my teacher, because of her talent and technique – but also because of her attitude towards cooking; she has always prepared delicious and exciting meals for us with lots and lots of love. My father has contributed a lot to my work ethic and my husband has encouraged me to pursue my career in catering and to continue to aspire to achieve as much as I can.

2. Why are you so passionate about being a Chef?
Food can be an expression of love, and more often than not, it brings people together. At home it was always both… this is where the joy I get from being a Chef stems from. I extend this to my cooking every day, and I am not just a Chef for our clients at work, I’m a Chef for my husband, my children, my family and friends.

3. Mention five words to describe yourself and your work ethic.
Loyal, Passionate, Ambitious, Confrontational, Determined.

4. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
In the same role I am today at Ta’ Ġinġel Farm, hopefully we will be well established and my family, kids and husband will be with me often on the job. I’ve always wanted to run a catering establishment where my kids and family can feel at home, as well as an establishment which is homely, genuine and great for families and kids.

5. Can you mention Chefs who have inspired you? What do you admire most about them?
Like I said my mother has been my biggest teacher, my nanna also and I’m really not too big on celebrity Chefs. Having said that, for a long time when I was young, I liked Jamie Oliver, mostly because of the genuinity in his cooking. His cooking is also simple yet full of flavour. I also simply love eating and food, this has also driven me to grow and learn as a Chef, till today it is the favourite passtime of my husband and I.

6. What is your favourite dish to cook and why?
This is a difficult one! Simply because there are so many! Torta tal-irkotta u gbejniet, ravjul biż zalza, spare ribs, linguine vongole, grilled calamari.. these are all just a few dishes which either remind me a lot of my childhood meals – they’re also comfort meals and family favourites.