Capsicum cooks up opportunity

Capsicum Culinary Studio is commemorating its emerald anniversary by cooking up an opportunity for six aspiring chefs with a Chef Talent Scout competition and a chance to secure their share of more than half-a-million rand in bursaries.

Six foodies will be chosen from across the culinary school’s operational regions – in Johannesburg, Boksburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha and Cape Town – and receive a bursary to study either the Professional Chef or the Professional Patisserie Programme at the Capsicum campus in their area.

Capsicum academic operations manager Candice Adams said the competition aimed to find untapped culinary talent in the country.

“It’s also an excellent opportunity for aspiring chefs and patissiers to kickstart their careers and gain the necessary skills to become world-class professionals,” she said.

The inaugural Chef Talent Scout Competition winner in 2020, Imtiyaaz Hart, now in his final year of study at the Cape Town campus, said he had felt overwhelmed with the win at the time.

“I entered the competition because I was at the point in my life where I wanted to follow my passion and love for food,” the 32-year-old said.

“I’d love to publish a cookbook and eventually open a restaurant.

“To achieve this, I knew I had to improve my skillset, and this is why I had to enter and give it my all.

“Winning the bursary meant everything to me. “I would not have been able to afford studying otherwise.”

Adams said entrants were required to make a video of their creative dish (two minutes or less in duration) and post it on their Facebook and/or Instagram pages, tagging @Capsicumcooking with the hashtag #ChefTalentScout2023.

Videos may also be submitted via the Capsicum Culinary Studio Chef Talent Scout page at https://www.capsicumcooking.com/chef-talent-scout, or sent directly to chef@capsicumcooking.co.za, along with the recipe, entrant’s name and contact details.

Once all the submissions have been reviewed, the top 20 entrants in each of the campus locations will be invited to cook their dish at their nearest Capsicum Culinary Studio campus to select the top five from each campus.

The finalist will compete in a mystery box challenge, with a winner from the top five at each campus being crowned.