South African National Culinary Team departs for IKA Culinary Olympics

Family, friends, supporters and the media gave the South African National Culinary Team a warm send-off at a press conference held at the City Lodge Hotel at OR Tambo International Airport.

After four years of blood, sweat and tears the team of chefs are set to compete against 32 nations at the IKA Culinary Olympics.

“The IKA Culinary Olympics is the oldest and most prestigious global culinary competition; an event that, like the sporting Olympics, takes place only once every four years,” said Stephen Billingham, president of the South African Chefs Association. “The South African National Culinary Team is honoured to participate once again. They have been hard at work for four years, fine-tuning and practising our Olympic menu to prepare ourselves for one of the toughest challenges on the culinary calendar.”

With the wording on the team’s emblem, masakhane – which means let us build each other – the culinary team is inviting the nation to follow their journey to the Olympics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram under their newly-launched hashtag #SAOlympicChef.

“A strong show of support and interest on social media by our fellow South Africans and foodies will give our team a tremendous boost towards bringing home the gold. Messages of encouragement should include the hashtag #SAOlympicChef,” the team’s manager, Heinz Brunner said.

The culinary team brought back a gold medal in the Hot Kitchen category in 2008 – the first gold to be won by South Africa in 16 years. In the same year, the team was awarded the official South African team status by the Department of Arts and Culture’s Bureau of Heraldry.

The Olympics are set to take place from 22 to 25 October in Erfurt, Germany. The teams will have six hours to prepare their three-course menus to serve 110 people.

The culinary team include chefs:

• Henrico Grobbelaar of Southern Sun The Cullinan
• Dion Vengatass of Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel
• Blake Anderson of 3SIXTY and Billy G, Montecasino
• Trevor Boyd of Michelangelo Hotel
• Minette Smith of HTA School of Culinary Art
• Kirstin Hellemann of Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel
• Arno Ralph of Lindt & Sprungli SA.

The junior team under the guidance of Klaus Beckmann comprises:

• Zandria Platt
• Tayla Schou
• Thabang Masango
• Thapelo Aphane
• Jasmin Marsal
• Tevin Evans