Before he called service at The 11th Floor, Kyle Marshall wore cricket whites for Easterns Cricket Union and was weighing up a future in professional sport.

Now, he leads the kitchen at the Bedfordview rooftop restaurant, which has once again been nominated for the Luxury Lifestyle Awards’ Top 100 Restaurants of the World, following its previous recognition.

Marshall said the discipline, teamwork and ability to perform under pressure required on the cricket field continue to shape the way he runs his kitchen.

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“Cricket taught me discipline and the importance of being part of a team,” he said. “It also taught me that I do not have to be the most talented person in the room. If I am prepared to work hard, that can give me the edge.”

At 23, Marshall faced a choice between professional cricket and becoming a chef. For a while, he pursued both.

His interest in food, however, began much earlier. He grew up in a close-knit family where Sunday lunch meant a generous South African roast. He baked with his mother, and he remembers his grandmother’s signature sauce, yet he still cannot recreate his mother’s green beans and potatoes quite the way she does.

While playing for Easterns, Marshall enrolled for a cooking diploma at Capsicum Culinary Studio in Boksburg. He later added a pastry qualification, fitting for a chef with a ‘killer sweet tooth’.

After graduating, he travelled to England to play club cricket and worked part-time in a small village cafe. His time abroad was brief, and the pull of home soon brought him back to Johannesburg, where he developed his craft at Southern Sun Hyde Park, 54 on Bath and Palazzo Montecasino.

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At 54 on Bath, Chef Matthew Foxon became an important mentor.

Covid-19 changed the direction of Marshall’s career. A request from a former guest to prepare a few meals grew into a private-chef business, giving him the freedom to develop his own menus and culinary identity.

In 2021, his career gathered momentum on two fronts. He reached the semi-finals of Ultimate Braai Master, while a booking to cook for Antonio Iozzo and his family in Plettenberg Bay sparked a larger conversation that ultimately led him to The 11th Floor.

As executive chef, Marshall now shapes the menus and leads the brigade behind the restaurant’s dining experience. His approach is refined, but his philosophy is straightforward. “I want to make genuinely good food that is honest and delicious,” he said.

“There needs to be skill and creativity behind it, but it should still be food that people want to eat and enjoy.”

The dish that best sums him up is the short rib, cooked over open flame, then braised until tender and served with caramel mash and coffee parsnip purée.

“The fire and the braise are the technique and patience, and the sweet, bitter and earthy sides are where I get to be creative,” he said. “I’m not into tricks for the sake of it.” His kitchen essentials are equally unfussy: butter for sauces and finishing meat, and a sharp, well-balanced knife.

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International recognition has not given The 11th Floor reason to stand still. Its latest dishes balance familiar ingredients with less expected flavours, from oysters with mignonette and chimichurri to fire-grilled beef fillet with chocolate butter and Gorgonzola. New desserts, including Amber Alchemy and Rose Quartz, continue the experimentation.

Marshall works closely with head sommelier Keize Mumba, whose wine pairings complement the menus and dining experience, as well as the wider kitchen and front-of-house teams.

“A restaurant is never built by one person,” he acknowledged. “Every plate depends on the people preparing it, the team serving it and everyone working behind the scenes. Being recognised again is something the whole team can be proud of.” That focus on teamwork extends to the next generation of chefs.

A group of culinary interns is currently completing their practical training at The 11th Floor before graduating from their respective institutions and leaving the restaurant in mid-November. Having benefited from mentors such as Foxon, Marshall wants to have the same positive influence on their careers.

He advises young chefs to arrive early, master the basics before chasing an impressive CV, ask questions and learn the business side of a kitchen, including costings. He also urges them to look after their physical and mental well-being in a demanding industry.

Marshall described the mentor he wants to be as “demanding but fair” and someone who holds the standard while explaining the reason behind it.

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Mistakes, he believes, are part of learning when a chef owns them and puts the lesson to work. “Seeing someone join the kitchen, develop their skills and confidence, and eventually become an accomplished chef makes me incredibly proud,” he said. “That is the kind of success that lasts.”

When Marshall is not in the kitchen, he enjoys a round of golf, time in the gym or a quiet evening beside a fire with country or indie music playing.

Most of all, he enjoys slowing down at home with his wife, Gay-Lee, and their dogs. The uniform may have changed, but Marshall still relies on the same winning principles: preparation, teamwork and the determination to keep improving.