Welcome to my blog. You are probably wondering if we are going to have a meal at the end of the day with an accountant in the kitchen. One thing you can be assured of is that recipe measurements will be accurate, preparation and cooking instructions will be followed and that we will stick to the food budget. We will definitely be cooking and there will be no cooking of books!

My name is Avhaathu Ntsho, food enthusiast, mother of three, CA(SA), and a Chef.

I have always had an interest in cooking. As far as I can remember I was the one (one of four) sibling at home who used to love baking and cooking, especially scones, my favourite baked item. Baking is really my happy place so it was no surprise that I found the idea of culinary school appealing.

 

I apply a simple approach to my cooking and do not use a lot of ingredients as I believe in heightening and working with the natural flavor of food instead of  camouflaging the natural taste of food with overwhelming spices.

I am a salt and pepper and everything nice kind of girl. Besides that I am a mom of three, so I really do not have the time to be adding that many ingredients to a dish.

Before I ventured into the kitchen I worked as a professional advisor and accountant at a bank selling money to businesses and entrepreneurs that were looking to grow their existing businesses or invest into new ventures. These were people from different walks of life, with compelling stories of courage and determination. Stories of overcoming challenges and remaining focused on their journeys to transform industries, build wealth and create legacies through innovation.

I was happy doing this job as it was fulfilling and inspiring to facilitate through the loans we provided, the execution and fulfillment of their dreams. I still get that warm fuzzy feeling when I come across previous clients’ products/ ventures that we helped to launch or expand in the market. It becomes a reminder that I did my bit where I was planted.

On French fries duty at work

Happy days at chef school

Inspired by the people I met in business I decided to go to culinary school to explore my passion for food, learn about different cuisines and ingredients, food preparation methods, explore my creative side and also get temporary relief from corporate life. I thought to myself, let me season my life a bit, similar to what salt does, developing and enhancing the natural taste of food without changing the flavor.

The other significant reason is that I was always fascinated by the chef jacket. Don’t judge!  One of my best days at school was receiving the uniform. I couldn’t wait to get home and parade it to my family.

I still number crunch and service clients through my work at TheTaxspot, where I provide the services of a personal accountant and business consultant. I can assist with you with the following:

  • Completion and submissions of income tax returns
  • Tax compliance & tax planning
  • Financial reporting for investment portfolios
  • Bookkeeping

This is my blog about personal finance and food tips to suit all budgets.

Want to work together? Need to get in touch?
You are welcome to contact me at: info@thetaxspot.co.za