Black-tie gala has a big heart
ON Thursday night, a Cape Town old lady got dolled up for dinner in purple and yellow, all in the name of charity.
The City Hall played host to the annual Chefs who Share event, a super-glamorous evening that combined food, music and art to raise funds for a number of charities.
It brought together 252 guests, 14 head chefs, seven sommeliers and seven young chefs.
Once the guests — who had forked out R3 000 a head for the privilege — had strutted their stuff on the red carpet, they got champers, and canapés prepared by the seven finalists for the Young Chef Award.
Organisers had invited 75 top restaurants to put forward their most promising staff, aged 18 to 29, working in positions ranging from demi chef to junior sous chef.
The award went to Jamie-lee Saunders of the Red Indigo restaurant at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, near Hermanus. She had created a pink peppercorn macaroon with duck liver pâté and candied apples.
Among the guests were socialite Jen Su, athlete Elana Meyer, rugby legend Morné du Plessis and former politician Mbhazima Shilowa.
Swimmer Ryk Neethling was also there, with his fiancée, Canadian beauty queen Sahar Biniaz, who looked stunning as they roamed the room filled with art to be auctioned.
By 7pm, everyone was at their tables of 12 for some music by Arno Carstens and opera singer Magdalene Minnaar.
The evening’s hosts were Expresso presenter Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp and radio personality Jeremy Mansfield.
Event founder Barbara Lenhard explained that the evening worked with surprise menus. “The chefs work in seven teams of two, plus a dedicated sommelier, with each creating a unique four-course menu for 36 guests — meaning there was no set menu common for everyone. Only three tables shared the same menu, which makes the event more fun.”
After dinner it was time for the merry guests to dig deep and buy some art.
The highest-selling artwork of the night was a sculpture, Young Swimmer Girl by Marieke Prinsloo-Rowe, which fetched R180 000.
Funds raised will go to the MAD Leadership Foundation, the Veggie Box Initiative and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.