Now in its ninth year, the HTA School of Culinary Art Legacy Competition continues to inspire and challenge young chefs, providing a platform for them to showcase their skills, creativity, and knowledge of the latest culinary trends.
The prestigious competition allows second-year students to test their abilities against real-world challenges, honing the expertise needed for their future careers in the culinary industry.
Read more: Parents show their culinary skills at Randburg Clinic School cookout
A notable addition to the event: Legacy: The Beginning, was introduced in 2022 for first-year students, giving them an early opportunity to develop the resilience and adaptability required for culinary competitions.
Duane Riley, of HTA, explained that the primary goal of the competition, beyond fostering a spirit of fun and education, is to expose students – the future leaders of the culinary industry – to a variety of premium ingredients and encourage their application in crafting high-quality dishes.
The awards ceremony, held on the evening of October 5, was attended by approximately 80 influential members of the hospitality industry, as well as family members and sponsors.
Also read: How to take care of your cutlery and crockery
“The finalists for the Legacy competition are full-time second-year students nearing the completion of their Culinary Arts Programme. Semi-finalists were chosen based on their overall performance over two years and their submitted entry dishes. After a competitive cook-off at HTA, the top seven were selected as finalists.” Those seven finalists were: Asanda Dube, Henry Haden, Lealtro Valentine, Michael Duke, Nthato Makhetha, Sahil Singh, and Travis Hendricks.
Makhetha was crowned the Legacy 2024 winner, with Valentine in second place, and Singh taking third. Molly Read was the winner of Legacy: The Beginning. Additionally, the Victorinox & Sharp Edge Knife Proficiency Award was presented to Atiya Laher in recognition of her outstanding knife skills.
Each finalist received a Legacy competition hamper, generously filled with prizes from the sponsors
Riley said that this year’s competition was a resounding success, providing much-needed positivity for the students and the broader culinary community.
“The event successfully highlighted the talents of emerging South African chefs, giving them a platform to test their skills and receive exposure to the industry. The school is proud to have solidified the Legacy competition as a key event on the culinary calendar. We look forward to celebrating the competition’s tenth edition next year.”
Follow us on our Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok pages. Join our WhatsApp group for any story ideas you may have.
Related article: Chef Reddy appreciates family support
