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Meet the Silwood Team

Driven by Passion

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Lesley Faull

Founder - 1964 - 1992

In 1964, in the old coach house at Silwood House, the family home, Lesley started her dream – sharing recipes, tips and tricks with 45 to 50 housewives. And so the doors of Silwood opened where ladies could learn to cook. Lesley spent hours devouring recipes, cookery books and magazine food articles…

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Alicia Wilkinson
(CCP IACP FSACA)

Principal - 1992 - Present

Accredited Assessor

Author of Cookery book “The Complete South African Fish & Seafood Cookbook” 1st published in 1981. Alicia literally grew up in the kitchen! Silwood was her home, and food and its production have always been a strong focus in her life…

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Carianne Wilkinson

Vice Principal 2004 - Present

Accredited Assessor and Moderator Director of SA Chefs Association Trade Tested Chef

Author of Cookery book “A year at Silwood”. Carianne represents the third generation of women to make cooking and Silwood their lives work. Silwood was her childhood playground, but before following in the footsteps of her grandmother…

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Lecturers

Patrik Patterson - Hot Kitchen Supervisor

Silwood Cordons Blues Grande Diplome
City & Guilds Diploma in Food Preparation & Culinary Arts
QCTO Occupational Certificate: Chef
Accredited Assessor

Patrik worked at the award winning, 3 starred Salsify restaurant as sous chef before joining the Silwood Team in 2024.

Toni Voigt - Academics manager & patisserie supervisor

City & Guilds Diploma in Food Preparation & Culinary Arts
QCTO Occupational Certificate: Chef
Accredited Assessor

Toni studied at Camborne Technical College, Catering Faculty (UK). She had many years of kitchen experience in the UK and France, before immigrating to SA and becoming Sous Chef of Larder & Pastry Sections at the Vineyard Hotel. We welcomed her to the Silwood Team in January 2009.

Tayla Smith - Baking kitchen supervisor

Silwood Cordons Blues Grande Diplome
City & Guilds Diploma in Food Preparation & Culinary Arts
QCTO Occupational Certificate: Chef
Accredited Assessor

Tayla worked at the award winning, 3 starred and no 49th best restaurant in the world, la Colombe, before joining the Silwood team in 2024

Morgan Mullins - Sugar Craft, Demonstrator & Lecturer

Silwood Cordons Blues Grande Diplome
City & Guilds Diploma in Food Preparation & Culinary Arts
QCTO Occupational Certificate: Chef
Accredited Assessor

Morgan worked at the award winning Foxcroft Restaurant before taking up head pastry chef position at the 3 starred la Petite Colombe restaurant. Morgan joined the Silwood team in 2024

Azola Poswa - Supervisor, Demonstrator & Lecturer

Silwood Cordons Blues Grande Diplome
City & Guilds Diploma in Food Preparation & Culinary Arts
QCTO Occupational Certificate: Chef
Accredited Assessor

Azola worked at the award winning, 3 starred Salsify restaurant before joining the Silwood Team in 2025.

Grace Stevens - Patisserie Sugar Craft

Professional cake decorator
Cookery Book Author
Social media Influencer

Grace is the owner & founder of Grace Stevens, formerly Cupcakes by Design. Grace joined the Silwood team in 2024. 

Administration

Kirsten Beattie

Office Manager & Admissions

Sukey Baker (Part Time)

Specialist Projects

Jacob Dube, Arnold Soko and Brave Soko

Groundsmen

Florence Ntshonga & Lauren Khaka

Housekeeping

Accolades and Accreditation

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Lesley Faull

Founder - 1964 - 1992

In 1964, in the old coach house at Silwood House, the family home, Lesley started her dream – sharing recipes, tips and tricks with 45 to 50 housewives. And so the doors of Silwood opened where ladies could learn to cook. Lesley spent hours devouring recipes, cookery books and magazine food articles.

Her passion for food became all-consuming and Lesley started writing cookery books, published between 1967 and 1979: usually subject driven; The Forrest Cookbook, Bread Buns Cakes And Cookies, Book Of Breakfasts, Cookery In Southern Africa Traditional And Today, Our Best Traditional Recipes, Milk Makes It, Braai And Barbecue In Southern Africa, Rice Recipes And Curries, Meat On The Menu In South Africa, ABC For Cooks, Inspired By Sugar, Their Secret Was Sugar, Cream Makes The Difference For Royal Dairy, Contributed Recipes For Top Secrets For Entertaining (Sold In Aid Of SA Riding For Disabled)

The Fruitful Co-Operation between the world renowned Cordon Bleu School in London and Silwood Kitchen created The Fyn Fookkuns Series – Lesley was asked to translated The Cordon Bleu London Series into Afrikaans ‘Fyn Kookkuns’ No. 1 – No 52

Over the years she also wrote many cookery articles for Die Burger and Cape Times.

Lesley produced the Silwood Kitchen food newsletters for the South African Sugar Association

Alicia Wilkinson (CCP IACP FSACA)

Principal - 1992 - Present

Accredited Assessor

Author of Cookery book “The Complete South African Fish & Seafood Cookbook” 1st published in 1981

Alicia literally grew up in the kitchen! Silwood was her home, and food and its production have always been a strong focus in her life. On completing a course at the London Cordon Bleu, she joined the newly established Silwood Cookery School and became the first recipient of the Silwood cordons bleus Certificate in 1970.

She became principal of the school, in 1992, that year she was awarded the “Commandeur de Cordons Bleus de France” and Certification by the International Association of Cookery Schools as a Culinary Professional (IACP –CCP).   In 1995, she was awarded Associated Member of South African Chefs Association. In 2005 Alicia was Awarded “Fellow of SA Chefs Association (FSACA) and in 2009 was inducted into the South African Chefs Association’s Honour Society, The Academy of Chefs.

She was recipient of the “2016 Lance Snyman Lifetime Achievement award” presented at the EATOUT Restaurant Awards.

Alicia still makes an annual trip to Europe to keep up with International food trends and networking, and does a short course at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland each year.

Carianne Wilkinson

Vice Principal 2004 - Present

Accredited Assessor and Moderator Director of SA Chefs Association Trade Tested Chef

Author of Cookery book “A year at Silwood”

 Carianne represents the third generation of women to make cooking and Silwood their lives work. Silwood was her childhood playground, but before following in the footsteps of her grandmother, Lesley and mother, Alicia, she completed a degree at UCT. Carianne completed her Silwood grande diplome internship at Ballymaloe Cookery School, Ireland, gaining teaching experience, she return to Silwood as Certificate course Hot Kitchen supervisor and lecturer and Diploma (2nd Year) Lecturer. She developed, launched and managed Silwood’s Part-Time class program. In 2004 she was appointed vice principal. In 1999 she was voted onto and has remained on the committee of South African Chef’s Association. She is an accredited South African Chef’s Association Judge and has judged Various National Cookery competitions such as: Chaine des Rotisseurs Young Chef’s competition and South African Chef’s Association Olympic team competition.

  • Eat Out top 20 restaurant judge
  • Preliminary judge for Masterchef, Cape Town candidates
  • On the CathsSeta panel for developing the Chef Occupational curriculum and Qualification.
  • On the NAMB panel for developing the Trade Test for the new QCTO chef qualification