Time to shine for Durban chef
New dad scoops top culinary prize
KERWIN Buckley is a name to watch in the culinary world.
On July 17, the soft-spoken Durban chef won the Unilever Food Solutions Masters of Time competition, beating four other finalists in a 90-minute mystery-box challenge.
It has not taken him long to make his mark; Buckley graduated from the International Hotel School in 2011.
Being selected as a finalist — and on the very day his son, Connor, was born — was a complete surprise for Buckley, who is working as a sous chef at the Mount Edgecombe Country Club.
Buckley, 27, from Berea, Durban, was born to cook — his parents had a successful catering company and for as long as he can remember he lent a helping hand. When he reached Grade 10 he decided that working with food was his passion and he has not looked back.
The Masters of Time culinary competition is designed to give young chefs experience in coping with the time constraints typically faced in the professional kitchen, and includes a period of intensive training with an experienced mentor.
In Buckley’s case, this was Dion Vengatass of the prestigious Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, who was also a winner in last year’s competition.
Buckley travelled to Cape Town for three days of training and found himself under the whip from the outset, confronted by mystery basket after mystery basket.
He had to come up with innovative, beautifully presented dishes displaying a range of techniques.
Vengatass was an exacting master.
“On the first day, he gave me a piece of salmon, mussels, prawn shells and a piece of beef,” said Buckley. “I cured the salmon, made a bisque and grilled the meat. Then Dion worked on my
I was frightened — I’d never worked with a rabbit before. I deboned it — it made it easier to work with
style, my sauces and my presentation. By day three I was on the right track.”
They met up again at the competition, when Buckley was allowed 35 minutes to consult with his mentor. It was then all in his hands.
He was nervous, he said, not only because this was the first time he had ever competed but also because the basket contained rabbit.
“I was frightened — I’d never worked with a rabbit before. My idea was to debone it — it made it easier to work with.”
He served it with handmade tortellini and a butternut puree.
He was a worthy winner, said the judges, who described him as having “remarkable composure” and “a flair for flavours and textures”.
“Winning has really lifted me up,” said Buckley,
“I’ve always been confident about the taste of my food, but the competition and the mentorship have broadened my awareness.”
Together with the title he won R15 000, which he will, of course, spend on his newborn son.
And this is only the beginning. “The bug has bitten me. I’m keen to enter more competitions. Eventually I’d like to teach other people to cook — I’d love to help anyone who has a passion for it.”