Mix of renowned chefs
JUDGING PANEL ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST TIME
They will dine unannounced and pay for meals.
In a first for Eat Out, chief judge Abigail Donnelly has announced her judging panel for the upcoming Eat Out Restaurant Awards. Joining her this year are Michelin-starred chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, chef Karen Dudley, sommelier Moses Magwaza, food activist and cookbook author Mokgadi Itsweng, and food writer and broadcaster Anna Trapido.
Donnelly said of her panel: “Each judge has a distinct perspective and valuable expertise.
“I chose Jan Hendrik because, as a South African, I admire him and the industry does too. He will bring a unique South African philosophy that will inspire young chefs.
“Karen understands the industry like no other – she has walked and talked about every bit of it.
“As an award-winning sommelier, Moses will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise on our South African wine culture.
“Mokgadi’s understanding and respect for local suppliers – and her belief in sustainability and teaching where food comes from – is beyond compare.
“And Anna has an incredible knowledge of South African food, people and ingredients, which I find totally inspiring.”
The Eat Out Restaurant Awards are making a return this year after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Donnelly said: “The reviewing panel and Eat Out team will visit and rate about 500 restaurants across categories. The judges will then dine at the restaurants and award for the best overall dining experiences including food, drink, service and ambience.”
Eat Out brand custodian Aileen Lamb said the return of the awards marked a celebration of resilience. “With the new Eat Out Restaurant Awards, we want to acknowledge the incredible way everyone has pulled together to get through the pandemic. Now more than ever, people are seeking out unique experiences to share with their loved ones. And there is no experience like a great restaurant.”
The revamped approach for 2022 will have inclusivity as its focus, with new awards that celebrate the industry’s unsung heroes. Eat Out will debut a new judging process whereby restaurants will receive a rating rather than a ranking. This is also the first time that restaurants will know the judging panel. However, judges will dine unannounced and pay for all their meals.
The 2022 Eat Out Restaurant Awards ceremony is in November. Limited sponsorship opportunities are available. Interested parties can contact Jeanine Boshoff, the head of
Story Station at New Media, at Jeanine.Boshoff@newmedia.co.za. Story Station is a team of over 30 content experts working on some of the country’s biggest brands, including New Media’s titles: Eat Out, Food24 and VISI.
ABOUT THE JUDGES 1. Abigail Donnelly
Donnelly is the food director for Woolworths TASTE and a creative stylist for Woolworths. In 2006, Abigail joined Eat Out as editor and was the chief judge for many years. She has garnered multiple Galliova Awards for her food writing.
2. Anna Trapido
Trapido is a food anthropologist who has an MA from Cambridge University and a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand. She is also a trained chef and author of Hunger for Freedom: The Story of Food in the Life of Nelson Mandela, for which she won the Special Jury prize at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
3. Karen Dudley
Dudley is a chef, food writer and restaurateur. She is best known for her restaurant The Kitchen in Woodstock, Cape Town, which US first lady Michelle Obama famously visited in 2011.
4. Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen
He was one of the first SA chefs to obtain a Michelin star in 2016, less than three years after opening the restaurant JAN in Nice. He recently opened Klein JAN in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve and is also known for his culinary travelogue TV show.
5. Mokgadi Itsweng
She is a chef, food activist and former food editor of True Love magazine. She follows a plant-based lifestyle and her debut cookbook, Veggielicious, includes recipes from her garden. Mokgadi is the creative director and head chef for Lotsha Home Foods.
6. Moses Magwaza
The former head sommelier at Pretoria’s Restaurant Mosaic won the Eat Out Wine Service Award two years in a row.