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KNYSNA NEWS - A well-known chef in Knysna and familiar face at Oyster Festival cook-offs, Melvin Mene, has been left in a predicament after the kitchen he uses for his tshisanyama (grilled meat business) and catering went up in flames last week.
Mene, who put up a brave face for the interview and is already trying to rebuild a makeshift kitchen at his home in White Location to use for his business Usatsho Tshisanyama and Catering, told Knysna-Plett Herald (KPH) that his kitchen was destroyed by fire on Friday 5 October while he and his wife Ondela were selling wors (sausage) rolls near Buco, as they do every Friday.
The 2017 Oyster Festival Flavours of Knysna winner and third-place finisher in this year's King of the Fish Braai competition said that if it wasn't for the quick response of neighbours and the Knysna fire department, his entire home would have been burnt to ashes.
"I got a call while selling my wors rolls saying my house was on fire. By the time I got there, community members and the fire department had already saved most of my house," he said, the relief palpable in his voice.
An LP gas tank was also inches away from the fire, but fortunately the blaze was brought under control before this too could explode causing more damage and possible injury to his children, he added.
Among the items destroyed were his deep fryers, coffee machine, a blender and a mixer. What was lucky was that his two sons, 14-year-old Evi and four-year-old Khayone, were left unharmed. According to the fire department, said Mene, the fire could possibly have been the result of faulty wiring.
This intrepid businessman does not let the incident get him down, though. "I am now struggling to get my kitchen up and running again, but thanks to Buco and Knysna Roofing I have already been able to start building a temporary kitchen.
"They have been amazing. For now, I will continue selling my wors rolls and I will still be attending the festivals that are coming up. My tshisanyama will stay closed until I can rebuild and replace what I have lost," he said.
Although Mene said his youngest experienced some trauma following the incident, the family is all okay now. "He kept asking if we will still stay in the same house, but he is getting better," Mene added. The rest of his home was largely untouched.
Can you help?
If there are any good Samaritans out there, Mene would appreciate your support. Contact him on 081 059 3683.
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