WATCH: Chefs with Compassion cook 67 000 litres of soup in honour of Nelson Mandela

In tribute to Nelson Mandela’s legacy, Chefs with Compassion cooked up a storm, making a whopping 67,000 litres of soup.

This heartwarming event took place on Mandela Day, 18 July, at the Hospitality Training Associates (HTA) School of Culinary Arts, marking the fifth edition of the #67000litres challenge.

The soup pot was filled with a delicious mix of cauliflower, carrots, butternut squash, and a hearty blend of lentils.

The founder of Chefs with Compassion, Coovashan Pillay, told The Citizen that this initiative is also about highlighting food insecurity in South Africa.

“We started this initiative during the tough lockdown of 2020 as a way to give back on Mandela Day and make a difference,” Pillay explained.

“Our daily mission is to rescue, cook, and feed, and this event showcases that spirit. Most of the soup was made from rescued produce or items nearing their sell-by date, thanks to our nationwide pantry cleanup challenge.”

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Food insecurity in South Africa

Pillay also highlighted the contrast between food waste and hunger in South Africa.

“Annually, almost 10 million tonnes of food gets wasted in South Africa, which goes to the landfill. This is good food with no way to go and it’s either overproduced or there’s no demand from retailers, manufacturers, and farms, which literally gets thrown into the landfill.

“But at the same time, we have almost 20 million people who are food insecure in South Africa. That’s almost a third of the population.”

He said the event not only celebrated Mandela’s legacy but also aimed to inspire South Africans to think about food waste and hunger.

“We want to use this Mandela Day as much as it’s a fun initiative to get every South African involved, but we want to use this as an opportunity to raise awareness and show people what a third of the country faces on a daily basis.”

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