Purveyor of culinary excellence
CHEF Shaista Anoop, pictured, is one to certainly keep an eye on, as she climbs the culinary ladder with haste.
This year has been buzzing with activity for her, as she won the 2018 Peppadew Young Chefs Culinary Challenge and also placed first runnerup in the Unilever Junior Chef Of The Year 2018 – both highly esteemed challenges and fantastic achievements!
International food brand, Peppadew, invited young South African chefs, under the age of 25, to battle for the title of 2018 Young Chefs Culinary Champion.
The competition provided an opportunity for the chefs to showcase their creative culinary skills and put forward their best three course menu, featuring a Peppadew product as a basis for being selected to partake in the final cook-off.
Young chefs, aged 18 to 25, from all over South Africa took part. Only six entries went forward to the national finals.
The Unilever Junior Chef of the Year was also open to chefs aged between 18 and 25 years.
Originally from Newcastle, Anoop said her passion for food started from before she had even turned seven years old.
“My mother was sick and had to go for a thyroid operation.
“She was supposed to be in bed after the op, but she was still on her feet and cooking for the family.
“That was when I told my father that I needed to learn how to cook…
“At first they didn’t take me too seriously, but they eventually taught me. I’ve enjoyed cooking since then,” said Anoop.
In a previous interview, Trevor Maarschalk, managing director of the 1000 Hills Chef School, credited Anoop for being a talented chef who was no stranger to competitions.
“She made it to the national finals in the Unilever Young Chef of the Year competition in 2017 and placed second in the Huletts 2015 Sweet Young Chef of the Year,” he said.
Currently a Foundation Pastry Lecturer at 1000 Hills Chef School, Anoop is a talented and driven young chef .
Describing herself as “extremely passionate” about being a chef, she said her greatest satisfaction comes from seeing the look on someone’s face when they enjoy a meal she has prepared.