SA chefs claim 3 bronze medals
Group proud of performance at biggest international culinary arts competition
SOUTH Africa’s Culinary Olympics Team returned home at the weekend, after bagging three bronze medals at the biggest international culinary arts competition recently in Stuttgart, Germany.
The team received a warm welcome at OR Tambo International Airport on Saturday as they returned from the 25th IKA Culinary Olympics, which saw more than 2 000 chefs from 70 countries compete, from February 14 to 19.
The bronze medals were earned by chef Nicolas van der Walt for his sugar work piece “King for a Day” at the IKA Chefs Table event and the Restaurant of Nations event.
Team SA were headed by Trevor Boyd, team manager and executive chef of The Michelangelo Hotel, with team members Dion Vengatass, Chef de Cuisine at Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel (team captain), and Kirstin Hellemann, junior sous chef at Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, both of whom have past Culinary Olympic experience – along with Olympic newcomers, Adrian Vigus-Brown, executive chef, African Pride Melrose Arch, Autograph Collection; Chanté Rabie, pastry chef, Saxton Hotel, Villas & Spa; Bradley van Niekerk, senior chef de partie, Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia; Oscar Baard, pastry chef, NH Cape Town The Lord Charles; and Sifiso Chiziane, a commis chef at African Pride Melrose Arch.
Vengatass said they encouraged young people with a passion for food to join the national team.
“We want to do something a bit different. We want rather to build a bigger junior team that can back us up as seniors, and from the junior team, if there are a few who shine, they can join us in the senior team.
“Let’s work from the bottom up, let’s build a foundation that is stronger. Let them go over there and we’ll bring back a gold in four years’ time. There’s no way around it.”
Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane congratulated the team.
“South
Africa’s participation in this globally-acclaimed culinary event has firmly placed the country on the culinary world stage, which should be celebrated by all South Africans.
“We congratulate them for a job well done and are proud of their achievements as they showed off their culinary abilities and the highest level of dedication,” said Kubayi-Ngubane.