NAME: Tadiwa Tendayi
AGE: 27
INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @Satiate_Luxe
JOB TITLE: Founder of Satiate Luxe
MOVED TO THE UAE IN: 2016
Tadiwa is the Founder of Satiate Luxe and a celebrated international chef. Born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, Tadiwa has been passionate about food since childhood. She left high school at 16 for full-time culinary education, where she graduated at the top of her class. She received further recognition after being chosen to represent Zimbabwe at the Young Chef Olympiad in Kolkata.
Later, Tadiwa joined the prestigious Victoria Falls Hotel (part of the Leading Hotels of the World collection) before moving to Abu Dhabi as part of the pre-opening team for Tasha’s Al Bateen and then to Dubai with Avli by Tashas. Her work highlighted a demand for restaurant-standard luxury without the hassle of leaving home. As a result, she launched Satiate Luxe in 2021 at the tender age of 23, to provide personalised at-home dining experiences and a sense of connection through food.
One of the driving forces behind Tadiwa’s ambition is her commitment to increasing diversity, enabling more talented chefs to pursue their dreams in the fine dining sector. From an early age, Tadiwa noticed how few female chefs were spotlighted, and the statistics paint an equally stark picture: only around 21% of chefs and head cooks globally are female, and just 6% of Michelin-starred restaurants are led by women. What’s more, African chefs are significantly underrepresented. Effecting change in this area is one of the many ways Tadiwa is making waves.
Let's discover a day in the life and career of Tadiwa:
6 AM: My day always starts early! I put my boxing gloves on or do a HIIT session to get my energy flowing. Spending long stretches on my feet in the kitchen can be intense and I often work in the evenings. So, doing an exercise that I love first thing means that I can fit it in, build stamina, and start work feeling energised. After my workout, it's time for reflection and planning. Because Satiate Luxe offers a range of services to different target audiences, I need to be strict with my time and my days rarely look the same. This means scheduling is essential so that I can carve out enough time for my clients and my team.
9 AM: Full work mode activated! First stop, my amazing suppliers, many of who I have built relationships with over several years. Sourcing the freshest ingredients is a key pillar of our gourmet meal plans. Plus, I buy ingredients for any private chef work we have on. One of our most popular steaks is the chocolate-fed wagyu steak on our Asian menu. We make sure that the majority of our vegetables are locally sourced and that all of our suppliers are HACCP certified. When I am consulting with F&B companies I always recommend the suppliers I trust.
10 AM: The heart of the operation – our Jebel Ali kitchen. I spend the rest of the morning checking orders, brainstorming new dishes, and leading team meetings. It's a whirlwind but having worked in fine dining restaurants I am used to thinking under pressure and staying calm in the face of challenges. We spend time developing recipes for our different clients and one of the things I love most is working closely with them to understand their vision and preferences, so that we can create inventive dishes that reflect their tastes. We are always looking for ways to make our meals delicious and healthy, for example making our own teriyaki sauce instead of store bought, which allows us to control all the ingredients.
1 PM: Lunch is never just a meal. It's an opportunity to connect with clients and
discuss progress or it can be developing the plan and framework for the different projects that we are working on. Most of the discussions are around menu engineering, staff training and kitchen set-up.
2 PM: Consulting time. When I left the restaurant industry to start my own business I knew I didn’t want to say goodbye to that world forever. That’s why I feel so fortunate working with fellow food entrepreneurs to strengthen their brand and help them stay ahead in such a dynamic, yet competitive market. Every consulting project is different, which keeps things exciting and I get involved in everything from concept development and menu engineering to operations and customer experience.
6 PM: Home sweet home – that’s if I’m not booked for a private event. When I am free, it’s to unwind; for me that means cooking a delicious dinner for myself. People are often surprised that I still have the energy to cook away from my job but it’s a passion that I will never tire of. Growing up cooking was a way to express myself. one of my go-to dishes is a grilled steak with broccolini and stuffed mushrooms.
8 PM: The entrepreneur's work is never done. Emails, planning, strategising from my home office. It’s extremely important for me to plan out the next day before bed. It makes me more productive and I don’t lose time when I am in the middle of it all.
I try to step away from screens before bed, and set aside an hour to have some quality time to check in with my loved ones and unwind. Making sure that I get a good night’s rest sets the tone for the next day.
10:30 PM: Chamomile tea and goodnight! Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
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