New ‘chefs who share – young chef award’ launched by ‘chefs who share — the art of giving’

New ‘chefs who share - young chef award’ launched by ‘chefs who share – the art of giving’

This year will see the introduction of the `Chefs who share – Young Chef Award’, an inspiring new initiative that sets out to showcase and nurture South Africa’s young culinary talent.

 

CWS-Young-Chef-Award-2

The award is part of the spectacular black-tie charity gala ‘Chefs who share – the ART of giving’, which will be held in Cape Town for a third consecutive year on Thursday 10 September 2015. It will offer a once in a lifetime opportunity for South Africa’s younger generation of chefs to join their culinary idols on the night and gain exposure to a high-profile audience – with one young chef also winning an incredible trip to Europe.

‘Chefs who share – the ART of giving’ has, in a short amount of time, become a not-to-be-missed event, drawing top chefs, sommeliers, artists, guests and contributors from across the country and raising almost R4 million for charity. Bringing together 14 of South Africa’s best chefs is at the core of ‘Chefs who share’. On the night of the gala, the chefs work in seven teams of two, plus a dedicated sommelier, with each duo creating its own unique four-course menu for 36 guests. The event organisers are now taking this concept one step further with the `Chefs who share – Young Chef Award’, inviting the country’s top restaurants to put forward their most talented and promising young chefs (aged between 18 – 29 years and working in a position ranging from demi chef to junior sous chef), who are keen to fast-track their careers and make a name for themselves.

The aim of the ‘Chefs who share – Young Chef Award’ is to find talented young chefs, give them opportunities, inspire them and help them to develop their skills. The 14 chefs they will be working with on the night count amongst South Africa’s culinary elite, and will act as role models and mentors for the emerging kitchen stars.

To enter the award, the up-and-coming chefs have until 15 July to create an innovative canapé that will be served together with a glass of Moët & Chandon Impérial as a culinary highlight at the ‘Chefs who share’ gala evening. In August, a panel of top chefs and experienced foodies, together with ‘Young Chef Award’ South African Ambassador and The Africa Channel’s ‘Africa on a Plate’ producer Lentswe Bhengu, will judge the canapés submitted and select seven young chefs as competition finalists. They will then be invited to Cape Town, where they will each be given a spot in the event kitchen and will get to work alongside their kitchen heroes.

‘Chefs who share’ will cover travel expenses to Cape Town and accommodation in the city, and will present finalists with an exciting three-day programme during their stay.

To further enhance this once-off opportunity, the young chefs will be mentored by Swiss chef and Swiss International Air Lines brand ambassador Reto Mathis during their time in the Mother City, who will act as International Patron. The celebrated chef is the founder and head of Mathis Food Affairs and owns a number of acclaimed gastronomic establishments in Corviglia, St Moritz, in Switzerland’s Engadin region. He specialises in refined yet traditional Swiss cuisine and is best known for La Marmite, Europe’s highest altitude gourmet restaurant located at a staggering 2,486m, which is famous for its truffle and caviar specialities. Says Mathis: ‘It’s a great honour for me to be associated with ‘Chefs who Share – the ART of giving’ and the exciting new ‘Young Chef Award’. I look forward to visiting Cape Town in September and to be mentoring the seven finalists. What an incredible opportunity for these young kitchen ingénues to work alongside 14 of South Africa’s most acclaimed chefs! It will be a wonderful experience for all involved.’

Reto-Mathis

On the night of the ‘Chefs who share’ gala on 10 September, Mathis and the 14 participating South African chefs will vote for and announce the overall winner of the ‘Young Chef Award’ 2015. The young champion’s prize includes a trip to Europe, courtesy of Swiss International Air Lines, where he or she will have the opportunity to spend several days cooking in a Michelin-starred restaurant, while also gaining invaluable advice from the restaurant’s executive chef. In addition, the winning young chef will be invited by Moët & Chandon to visit its headquarters in Épernay, in the heart of France’s Champagne region. The Champagne house will host the winner overnight, and will present him or her with a VIP tour of the Maison, as well as the opportunity to participate in a workshop with a member of the Moët & Chandon winemaking committee and a resident chef. The experience will no doubt inspire the young chef to create perfect food and wine pairings and memorable dining experiences for his or her guests in years to come.

About Chefs who share

‘Chefs who share – the ART of giving’ was created by Barbara Lenhard in 2013 to raise funds for youth development in South Africa. The third annual event will take place in Cape Town’s City Hall on Thursday 10 September 2015, presented by Mercedes-Benz and associate sponsors Deutsche Bank, Swiss International Air Lines and Bulgari. Paired in seven teams, 14 of the country’s top chefs and seven acclaimed sommeliers will lend their time and creativity to create a culinary feast for 252 guests, while some of South Africa’s leading artists donate exceptional, exclusive works of art which will be auctioned off on the night. As in previous years, 100% of the money raised at ‘Chefs who share – the ART of giving’ via ticket sales, as well as all proceeds from the auction, will go to two charities, carefully chosen by the organisers: MAD Leadership Foundation and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. In the last two years the event raised close to R4 million for this good cause.

Chef Teams 2015
Team 1

  • Christo Pretorius, Azure at The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa
  • Virgil Kahn, Indochine at Delaire Graff
  • Gegory Mutambe, Head Sommelier at The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa

Team 2

  • Malika van Reenen, Signal at Cape Grace
  • Grégory Czarnecki, Waterkloof Estate Restaurant
  • Neil Grant, ex-Sommelier Rust en Vrede, owner of Burrata, Bocca and Open Door restaurants

Team 3

  • Rudi Liebenberg, Planet Restaurant at Belmond Mount Nelson
  • Marthinus Ferreira, DW Eleven-13
  • Pearl Oliver, Sommelier, Planet Restaurant at Belmond Mount Nelson

Team 4

  • Michelle Theron, Pierneef à La Motte
  • Bertus Basson, Overture Restaurant
  • Manuel Cabello, Head Sommelier, Ellerman House

Team 5

  • Garth Almazan, Catharina’s at Steenberg
  • Darren Badenhorst, The Restaurant at Grande Provence
  • Higgo Jacobs, independent wine consultant

Team 6

  • Scot Kirton, La Colombe, Silvermist Wine Estate
  • Chantel Dartnall, Mosaic at The Orient Boutique Hotel
  • Germain Lehodey, Sommelier at Mosaic at The Orient Boutique Hotel

Team 7

  • Chris Erasmus, Foliage
  • Jürgen Schneider, Springfontein Eats at Springfontein Wine Estate
  • Joakim Blackadder, Portfolio Manager at Vinovation

 

[Author: [email protected] (Pierre Marqua)] [Category: Wine News]


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