Prior to the Yachting days, numerous projects kept Mark busy as he was driven to grow the vision of serving great food in awesome locations (see projects page) this spans over roughly 23 years of culinary and business ventures.

From Operating a Game Reserve & rum distillery in the Pineapple Valley of Bathurst, to Farming Trout on the east coast

Whilst taking a "gap year" in the little picturesque Port of St Francis, Mark built a little seafood and sushi outlet, which has been successfully handed over to new proud owners. 

The Little Fish & Chips kitchen escapades below :

The story - Mark began his career in 1999, working as a chef and trainee at a small Japanese restaurant in Port Elizabeth. Quickly developing an enthusiastic interest in the art of Asian cuisine, which led him to seek further apprenticeship. In 2000, he moved to Cape Town where he spent three and a half years working at a popular sushi bar in the Cape Town waterfront. It was here that he was fortunate to be able to learn from the industry best, including Japanese and Singaporean master chefs. Working in the mother city gave him the opportunity to cater to numerous Hollywood celebrities.  In 2003, he entered a new season of his career, he began to think about how to realize his dream to one day own his own Sushi Restaurant. he made the decision to step up, and with the assistance of a close friend, he was able to establish a small catering business in March 2004. Fushin was born. The company began by providing catering to the film and corporate industry in Cape Town. The hard work and boldness to realize his dream began paying off, he developed a good reputation in the local catering industry and was able to move the business to his own premises in Sea Point in 2006. Following the decision of moving back to his hometown of Port Elizabeth. In February 2008 he established a Fushin “pop up” at the Port Elizabeth harbor, sharing premises with another restaurant.  The first year of trading went extremely well, and the new Sushi restaurant began to grow a strong reputation in the local area.  He began to search for and acquire young and talented staff members who have since trained to be able to deliver the level of excellence expected by the now well-established brand and its clients. Fushin Sushi & Eastern Cuisine opened its doors in June 2009, after a setback with port trading regulations. The ideal premises in the then up-and-coming neighborhood of Richmond Hill, allowed him to begin renovations to a new space and create the elegant yet relaxed eating and socializing environment that it is today.

   Sitting in the exam room, pondering how the hell I am going to get out of the mess, doodling on a page, how could this situation could be any more mundane. The rules the regulations, do not walk there, sit there, pick that up, stand in line, I used to escape by taking my mind to the natural world and recreating it completely differently. The little disciplines are to become a fundamental part of my career, coupled with the methodology of Japanese culture and meticulous handling of everything I set my mind to Little did I know, life has a lot more it is going to throw at me… Cooking with my family imparted a love for hospitality and serving people, so it starts and the world of #cheflife and restaurateur becomes a reality, but not before I work myself into a near coma, and all in a day’s work