Calling on enthusiastic cooks to enter culinary contest

The South African Chefs Association (SA Chefs) and The Plant Powered Show (TPPS) has launched a culinary competition where the winner will share a platform with top professional and celebrity chefs at The Plant Powered Show.

This will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from May 27 to May 29.

The not-to-be-missed three-day live in-person event will also incorporate an exciting virtual component, which will allow visitors from other provinces and around the globe to attend online.

The 2022 competition is open to all chefs, student chefs and home cooks residing in South Africa, aged 28 and younger.

Interested parties are invited to submit their best vegan dish by submitting a 30-second video (or a link to where the video can be found) explaining why they should be the winner of a coveted demo spot at the TPPS, as well as a recipe using vegan-only products with a list of ingredients and the cooking method.

Entries, along with a full name, ID, email and cellphone number details should be sent to competitions@sachefs.co.za for the attention of Adrian Vigus-Brown.

The show is the first of its kind in South Africa, bringing the plant-based, vegetarian, vegan and conscious living revolution to a mainstream audience.

The hugely successful inaugural Plant Powered Show (under the name The Festive Vegan and Plant Powered Show) took place online in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions and featured an extraordinary line-up of local and international chefs.

The winner of the 2020 competition was Gauteng chef Hope Mdakane who entered a vegan dessert inspired by his grandmother’s trifle.

Mdakane said: “I took a dish I love and used the culinary skills I learnt at the HTA School of Culinary Arts where I trained and working at establishments such as The Hilton and The Saxon as well as stints working overseas.”

His thoughts on veganism: “It is a movement that I feel strongly about, due to the sustainable nature of the lifestyle. There are vast health benefits in following diets that are predominantly or entirely plant-based and I continue to develop my knowledge and understanding of vegan diets and the quality ingredients that can be produced to ensure a superior dining experience without the use of animal-based products.

“It also keeps the ever-evolving world of food and food production interesting and exciting, as we are forced to think of new ways of making classic and traditional dishes vegan friendly.”

Entries close at midday on April 19 with the top 10 finalists announced on April 22.

These finalists will then have until April 29 to submit a demo video with the ultimate winner announced on May 2.

The winner will be invited to be part of The Plant Powered Show to perform a live cooking demo on May 28, in The Plant Kitchen Chef’s Theatre.

The competition judges are Adrian Vigus-Brown (competition director SA Chefs), Miles Khubeka (entrepreneur, chef and TV host), Coo Pillay (executive chef of Protea Hotel by Marriott O.R. Tambo Airport), Dion Vengatass (member of the SA Culinary Olympics team), Linah ‘Pinky’ Maruping (regional customer chef for Unilever Food Solutions) and chef Jocelyn Myers-Adams (director of JMA Hospitality and Consulting and partner at Food Jams).

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