David Higgs show cooks for a cause in the new age of Covid

Chef, restaurateur and TV personality David Higgs is known for his tasteful dishes, his appearance as a judge in the popular South African version of My Kitchen Rules and for his spectacular food spots in Johannesburg such as the Marble Restaurant and Saint Restaurant.

As we all know the restaurant industry was heavily impacted by Covid-19, so Higgs said a premier lifestyle company approached him to do some good in the form of food entertainment.

Cooking for a Cause was created with contestants having to make, cook and plate a dish in just 60 minutes with the ingredients chosen by Higgs. The show is streamed live on the chef’s YouTube channel every Monday and hosted by TV anchor Marcelle Gordon.

The show is raising funds and awareness for Eat Out Restaurant Relief Fund which keeps hope alive for many kitchens across South Africa.

They prepared meals for the elderly, people who had lost their jobs and children who weren’t getting meals at school. The fund continues to support the industry many months after it reopened.

From a very successful first season in August, the show has come back for a second season.

Co-host Marcelle Gordon, season one winner Sara Williams and chef David Higgs. Photo: Supplied

Each contestant receives an ingredient box from one of the sponsors, Food Lovers Eatery. After their hour is up a driver arrives to collect the contestant’s dishes and deliver them to Higgs’ home for judging and tasting.

Higgs says this is what makes the show special: “It is spontaneous, that is what makes it exciting. The food delivered to my home is kind of an Uber Eats.  It is a cool element and also I can say whatever I want,”  adding they aren’t prescribed to by a script as with a traditional recorded cooking show.

‘Cooking for a Cause’ is streamed live on YouTube. Photo: Supplied

“I don’t like being told what to do or how to say it, it’s a relatively free format and I love how it is at the moment.”

The contestants range from home cooks to bloggers, giving them a platform to show off their culinary skills. Even though they are cooking alongside Higgs in the comfort of their home, this may be intimidating. However, this should be the least of their worries.

“I think the biggest thing is that they underestimate their time, when the basket gets delivered to them they don’t know what it’s the basket, they don’t know what to expect and the pressure is on,” he said.

Winners are announced the following Monday on David’s Instagram page. A couple of add-ons on season two is a quick masterclass from Higgs and the incorporation of cocktail hour. Doing a lot more content for social media due to the pandemic, the chef noticed the audience liked simple dishes and recipes they love, but the Higgs way.

Since Level 1, many patrons have returned to  support their favourite restaurants, Higgs says it has been great to see, particularly as a restaurant they need to make sure everything is at the highest level so that people continue coming back.

Catch season 2 of Cooking for a Cause on David Higgs YouTube and streamed live every Monday from 6pm.

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