Local chef and entrepreneur, Ilana Gössman has a reason to feel proud, after making the top 10 of the televised Kokkedoor 3 cooking competition, which airs on kykNET, DStv.
The 43-year-old is a restaurant owner and professional chef, who is passionate about cooking.
Gössman first appeared on the TV channel in February and said she had a great experience:
“I had originally entered for the competition four years ago and I qualified for auditions, but the show was soon cancelled. In November last year, I received a call to come for auditions in Johannesburg, where I had to prepare cold dishes for the judges. In December, I was called and told I was one of the 10 chosen chefs to be part of the show. In February, we flew to Cape Town for TV shooting. It was the most captivating experience.”
Her origins in cooking are somewhat unconventional.
“I began cooking in 1995 while I was in Israel. I soon moved back to South Africa and enrolled at the Swiss Hotel School, and was later employed on a yacht that went around the Mediterranean Sea. From there I worked on the Shongololo Train, which is where I also met my husband. We eventually settled in Newcastle in 2001, and started working at [what was then] Pine Junction, taking care of all the catering. Four years ago, I took the big step to get into business and bought a restaurant and coffee shop. Food has always been my passion and seeing satisfied clients always leaves a smile on my face.”
Gössman added she was proud of all her achievements so far:
“I feel I really excelled by just being in the top 10 of the TV show, because there were around 3 000 entries. I am happy to also announce that I will be back on the last episode as an assistant chef. It was definitely a challenging experience but it was worth it.”
Gössman encouraged upcoming entrepreneurs to never give up on their dreams, to be hands-on, guide their staff, be innovative and always love what they are doing.
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