Support the #SAOlympicChef
SANDTON – Messages of encouragement should include the hashtag #SAOlympicChef as the team will compete at the IKA Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany.
Food lovers and foodies were invited to Michelangelo Hotel on 16 August to try out the dishes that the South African National Culinary team will showcase at the IKA Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany, from 22 to 25 October.
The team of men and women in chef’s whites will be flying the South African flag high when they compete against 32 countries. They will have five-and-a-half hours to prepare their three-course menus to serve 110 people.
“The IKA Culinary Olympics is the oldest and most prestigious global culinary competition, an event similar to the sporting Olympics, takes place only once every four years. The South African National Culinary Team is honoured to participate once again. We 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,” manager of South African National Culinary team, Heinz Brunner of Crown Outsourcing Consultants said.
The chefs on the South African National Culinary Team are:
- 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.
“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,” Brunner said.
The South African National Culinary Team brought back a gold medal in the Hot Kitchen section 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 South African National Culinary Team’s Olympic Hot Kitchen menu features:
Starter
Cape Crayfish Malay – poached crayfish, pressed carrot terrine, carrot mayonnaise and Malay curry sauce.
Main Course
Springbok Masakhane – pan-roasted loin of springbok, rolled veal sweetbreads, red cabbage and cider purée, savoy cabbage and boulangère potato.
Dessert
Textured Splash of Raspberry, Rose, Coconut and White Chocolate – coconut sand, coconut sorbet, coconut sponge, rose jelly, rose meringue, raspberry mousse, and raspberry jelly.
Brunner concluded, “We are going to the Olympics as proud ambassadors of South Africa and representatives of a great heritage of culinary excellence in this country. We will put in all the necessary hours to do our country proud – and we’re delighted at the growing support we are getting from people within the culinary industry and from the general public. It’s inspiring!”
