Capsicum chef Alison Greenlees: from passionate beginnings to a renowned pastry career in Hermanus
Capsicum pastry chef Alison Greenlees has always loved the kitchen — from licking cake batter as a child to baking in a Hermanus restaurant. For the 24-year-old, baking isn’t just a job – it’s a lifelong passion.
“I just love being in the kitchen. It’s my happy place and I and knew from a very early age that baking was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” she says. The 24-year old Sandbaai resident is now the pastry chef at Hame, a popular restaurant and whisky bar in Hermanus.
Greenlees grew up in Johannesburg and studied patisserie at Capsicum’s Rosebank campus after finishing high school in 2019.
“I chose to study at Capsicum because to me their pastry course appeared very well-rounded and comprehensive, offering everything I wanted to study as well as a few extras I hadn’t even thought of. Before signing up, I went for a tour of the campus and that sealed the deal. It has stunning facilities, a great location and all the bells and whistles you could wish for.”
Greenlees says she thrived there and absolutely loved the course.
“From breads and cakes to chocolate and sugar work, it was everything I wanted and more. It not only allowed me to build on my love for everything pastry, but it also showed me how much more I could do and achieve if I let my mind and creativity run wild.”
Greenlees showed her passion by winning the “Spirit of Capsicum” award and graduating top of her class in 2022. Since graduating, she has had a busy, exciting, and rewarding few years.
“After I left Capsicum I began working at various restaurants in Johannesburg, but then decided to do my own thing and started a small catering business.”
New chapter in Zastron: managing a kitchen and supporting creatives
When her boyfriend got a job in Zastron, Greenlees moved with him and worked at a local hotel, managing the kitchen and training staff. She helped open a small boutique shop where “anyone who had a passion could sell their work and show the love for their respective skills.”
On top of that, the Capsicum pastry chef also helped train students from another local culinary school.
“A local restaurant employed a few students for their industry practical, and the owner asked if I would be willing to come in and give the students a few tips, tricks and lessons on life in the culinary industry.”
“For me this experience was beyond rewarding. Getting to work with those students was just like going back to being a student myself, calling on all the incredible lessons my own instructors had taught me; lessons that I will never forget.”
“Teaching people that the kitchen does not have to be a stressful environment is a passion of mine as I have always considered it my safe place; a place where I can switch off and allow myself to breathe and bask in the joy of creating.”
“Because of this, I decided to run a few courses most notably a day course in cookie decoration; the art behind royal icing. This was the most fun I’d ever had, as it allowed me to demonstrate how just a few basic steps can open a whole world of possibility for designs and skills. Once you understand the basics and fundamentals of baking and pastry, how the ingredients work together and how flavours complement each other, there’s nothing stopping you from creating new desserts, treats and baked goodies.”
Alison Greenlees dream job in the Western Cape
After a year in Zastron, Greenlees and her partner moved to the Western Cape to be closer to her newborn nephew. Soon, she found her dream job as a pastry chef at Hame.
“I came across the role accidentally,” she says. ”While I was chatting to a potential landlord I mentioned that I was a pastry chef and looking for work. It turned out she knew the owner of Hame and recommended me for the position. I went for an interview and the rest is history.”
Greenlees manages the restaurant’s cake table, dessert menus, and the stock of cakes, tarts, muffins, and cookies for the coffee shop.
“Although I am the sole pastry chef I do work alongside a wonderful colleague who is in charge of all things croissants.”
Alison’s future plans and goals
– Alison Greenlees shares her aspirations.
“I’ve always wanted to run my own bakery where I can teach classes and show people how calming baking and being in the kitchen can be. So that is definitely my five year goal. I also hope to have started a family by then, so having my own place where I can be as hands-on or hands-off as needed will allow me to reach my career goals and have the family life that I’ve always dreamed of.”
Greenlees aims to master sugar work one day, but for now, she’s focused on perfecting her tart-making skills.
“While it’s not the most intricate and delicate skill, it’s something I love doing. I’ve managed to find and perfect the best recipes for all things tarts – from flaky and buttery pastries to simple fruit fillings and more unique flavour combinations. Nothing beats a good homemade tart. Tarts and pies also have some fun areas to play around with such as a simple or standard lattice top or something more elegant, more complex, more unique and eye-catching. The possibilities are endless.”
We put Greenlees to the test and asked her to share a recipe for a simple, easy-to-make yet delicious tart. Here’s what she sent us:
Alison’s signature apple tart recipe
For the pastry
Ingredients
- 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 100g icing sugar
- 300g flour
- 1tsp vanilla essence
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Beat the butter until smooth and light.
- Add in icing sugar and beat together for 1 minute.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla essence, then add the flour and salt, and stir until combined.
- Don’t over mix.
- Wrap in clingfilm and allow to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- While it is resting, make the apple tart filling
For the filling
Ingredients
- 4 apples
- 45g flour
- 115g unsalted butter
- 100g brown sugar
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 to 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup water
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat.
- Wait for the mixture to thicken and have a runny consistency.
- Stir occasionally until the butter melts, the sugar dissolves slightly, and the mixture thickens to a runny consistency. Then, remove from heat and set aside.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- While the filling cools, remove the dough from the fridge and press two-thirds of it into a tart dish, covering the base and sides evenly. You do not need to roll the dough out; just press it into the dish in small sections.
- Next, peel, core, and slice the apples and arrange them on the tart base.
- Use the other third of the dough to cover the apple slices. Get creative with the top pastry design, but a simple lattice looks great.
- Roll out the pastry and cut into 1.3cm wide strips. Arrange the lattice on top of the apples, allowing for decent gaps between the pastry to accommodate the filling.
- After adding the pastry top, pour the cinnamon filling over it, letting it fill the gaps around the apples.
- Do not overfill. This filling should not drown the apples, a little goes a long way.
- Bake in the oven until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes to allow the pastry to firm up. Taking it out of the dish too soon will make the pastry break.
- Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Contact Capsicum Culinary Studio on email chef@capsicumcooking.co.za or telephone +27 86 111 2433.
