Passionate about food
THE PLANT POWERED SHOW: DON’T MISS THE MASTERCHEF SA REUNION
Showgoers can expect delightful banter and the sharing of top tips.
South Africa’s culinary sweetheart and MasterChef South Africa judge Zola Nene will be joining the show’s alumni, Andriëtte de la Harpe and Tarryn de Kock, at The Plant Powered Show which takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from next week Friday to Sunday.
With a personality that packs a lot of flavour and an inescapable passion for food, Nene swapped her B.Comm law studies for the invigorating smells of the kitchen, which has led to a successful culinary career spanning more than 10 years. In 2019, Nene scooped the Best in the World Award at the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for her second cookbook titled Simply Zola.
She will be performing two demonstrations at the Checkers Plant Kitchen, powered by Simple Truth, next week Saturday at 3pm and next week Sunday at 2pm.
De Kock was a finalist in the most recent MasterChef South Africa series shown on M-Net, where one of her competition highlights included winning the dish of the day in the Vegan Mystery Box challenge.
While her background is in academia and policy consultation, De Kock has been a curious foodie for many years and started her own baking business in 2017, before branching out into a lunch service and private catering. Having been both vegan and vegetarian, De Kock loves experimenting with plant-based eating, and hopes to encourage others to be more mindful, flexible and adventurous in what they put on their plates.
De la Harpe, who was the runner-up in MasterChef South Africa 2022, owns a bakery called ‘n Montvol, and is also passionate about creating plant-based dishes.
Together, the talented twosome will be demonstrating how to make De la Harpe’s MasterChef SA finals dish of butternut steak with asparagus, red pepper sauce, ricotta and smoked chimichurri as well as a croquette made with mushroom duxelles and chick*n fillets.
They will be joined online by MasterChef Australia’s Simon Toohey who will chat to the dynamic duo from his home in Melbourne, Australia. So showgoers can expect some delightful banter and the sharing of top tips. Their demo will take place in the Checkers Plant Kitchen next week Saturday at midday.
Other chefs, food personalities and experts taking part in The Plant Powered Show include Nene, Toohey (online only), De la Harpe and De Kock, as well as Mokgadi Itsweng (food activist), Jenny Morris, Claire Sharryn Roberto (nutrition and functional foods expert), Jane Nshuti (African food educator), culinary consultant and chef Tamsin Snyman, Mira Weiner (plant-based advocate), Arabella Parkinson (plant-based chef ), Phil Mansergh (The Kelp Shack), Loubie Rusch (indigenous foods expert), Owen O’Reilly (mixologist), Michele Mistry (ayurvedic nutritionist), Peter Daniel (health and wellness expert), award-winning food writer Amy Hoppy, Rudi Liebenberg (executive chef, Belmond Mount Nelson), Leozette Roode (vegan cookbook author) and Kurt Schlechter (co-owner and director of Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen and Cape Brandy Bar).
The Expert Health and Wellness Talks sessions will include Brett Thompson (co-founder and CEO of Mzansi Meat Co), Carla Gontier (co-owner, Grumpy and Runt), Dr Nanine Wyma (MD of the Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) South Africa), Dr Yesheen Singh (plant-based physician), Jessica Kotlowitz (registered clinical dietitian) Joni Symon, (co-founder of De Novo Dairy), Justin Smith
(head of the business development unit at
WWF South Africa),
Misha Teasdale (social change activist and director of the
Greenpop Foundation), Nadia Mulder (registered dietitian) environmental advocate Nicole Sherwin,
American actress and co-creator of
Animal Avengers
Shannon Elizabeth and Toni Brockhoven (chair of Beauty Without Cruelty). Checkers is the sponsor of The Checkers Plant Kitchen, powered by Simple Truth, at The Plant Powered Show this year. Known for convenience, quality and freshness, Checkers continues offers customers a worldclass shopping environment. Other sponsors of The Checkers Plant Kitchen, powered by Simple Truth are AGT Foods, Alpro, B-well Foods, On the Green Side, Denny Mushrooms, ClemenGold, Unique Kitchens, Sonae Arauco, Hirsch’s, SA Chefs Association, International Hotel School, Van Loveren Wines, My Kitchen, SA Avo Growers Association and in The Plant Power Health & Wellness Talks, ProVeg South Africa and Wellness Warehouse. TPPA supporting partners include Food Forward SA, SA Vegan Society, WWF SA, Beauty Without Cruelty and Tourism Cape Town. –