IN GLOBAL CULINARY SHOWCASE
Chef Boago Amantle David, and her mentor, Chef Melissah Ngoni are expected to attend this year’s Young Chef Olympiad, where Chef Amantle will showcase her creative skills in the kitchen.
She is joining other Chefs who come from 55 participating countries including Bangladesh, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Australia, Armenia, Singapore, Netherlands, Nepal, and Malaysia.
This would be the third time that Botswana is sending a representative at the competition. Previously, Setlalekgosi, and Chef Mokgethi participated in the competition. Both Setlakgosi, Mokgethi and Amantle were students of the Gaborone College of Culinary Arts, where the Executive Chef of Avani Gaborone Casino & Resort, Chef Melissah is a part time lecturer, and mentors the young Chefs. Speaking in an interview with Vibe, Chef Amantle shared that she was looking forward to the competition, and that she and Chef Melissah were excited to showcase a scrumptious seswaa dish during the event. “I can not wait to show off my talent, and for the world to see what I can do as a Chef,” she said.
She explains that her love for cooking started at home, where she used to cook for her family. She also explains that once she was done with her studies, she was looking into exploring her love for pastries. “Not many people love doing pastries as it takes a lot of work to do them,” she explains, noting that it is that labour of love that brings her joy.
She highlights that she is inspired by Chef Monana, who she credits for her magical skills when it comes to plaiting, as well as Chef Melissah, who is already ready to impart valuable knowledge.
In an interview, Chef Monana ex
plained that they were always looking for opportunities to give experience and exposure to their students. She also said that the IIHM Young Chef Olympiad was one of those opportunities. The school was started in 2014. “The hospitality industry plays a huge role in the GDP of the country,” she explained, adding that they have graduates working at most major hotels in Botswana. The school is best known for offering hospitality and tourism qualification, in disciplines that include Sanitation and Food Security, Basic Baking Skills, Basic Catering Operations, Food Beverages Services, as well as Food Preparations and Cooking. Each year, the school has 60 to 70 graduates, and most of their graduates are employed at the leading hotels in Botswana. This will be the ninth edition of the International IIHM Young Chef Olympiad. The event according to organisers seeks to achieve one of the United Nations goals for sustainable development, with the aim to incubate and promote, art of sustainable hospitability in the lives of people and society.
The judges for the event have a wealth of knowledge in the culinary industry, and they include Director and Cofounder of F&B Consultancy KitchenCut, Chef John Wood, who has 25 years of experience behind him. Second up, is Paul Jervis, Head of School for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, Westmeister Kingsway College. Lastly, Chef Rakesh Sethi, who is the Corporate Executive Chef of the Radisson Hotel Group in India.
The first leg of the competition begins on January 29th, and over the course of the competition, the Chefs will undergo a series of rounds where they will showcase their skills in the kitchen. It will take place across five IIHM City Campuses in Delhi, Goa, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune.