SA National Culinary Team put their best foot forward at Culinary Olympics

The last four days have seen the team of seven chefs presenting an impressive display of culinary art and a three-course menu to 110 people. Each day over the four days of the competition, eight countries put their best culinary foot forward, with a total of 32 national culinary teams competing in each of the two categories.

South Africa’s spirited young team worked through the night to painstakingly craft 92 individual items, each a work of art. Precision and accuracy are crucial as each item is coated in aspic, a gelatine-like substance, to preserve and finish off each dish. Teams are judged on presentation and innovation, composition, correct professional preparation and serving arrangement, each of which carries a potential 25 points, to reach a total out of 100.

The Restaurant of Nations requires the presentation of a three-course menu to 110 members of the public, from which plates are randomly served to judges. The Team’s participation this year was fraught with logistical challenges, including having to source lobster 24 hours before the competition was due to begin, as a result of the imported crayfish not being cleared on arrival in Frankfurt. Despite this and many other unforeseen challenges, the Team presented their Olympic menu with pride, doing South Africa proud.

“Our team put out the best food we’ve served to date in a menu that reflects the diversity of our country. It has been an honour for this team to represent South Africa and to be among the world’s top culinary nations. We’ve learned an enormous amount and we’ve come away enriched by the experience, and committed to passing on our knowledge and learnings,” says Heinz Brunner, manager of Culinary Team South Africa.

"The South African Chefs Association is extremely proud of the achievements of the South African Culinary National Teams that have recently represented not only the industry, but the entire country, at the IKA Culinary Olympics. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the board of Directors and our 8,000 members to sincerely thank each valued member of both the Senior and Junior Teams, whose dedication and commitment to their craft and their successes clearly pave the way for the next generation of young home-grown South African chefs to challenge and compete with the World's best. We are now looking forward to IKA Culinary Olympics 2020 with increased effort, energy, and enthusiasm." says Stephen Billingham, president of the South African Chefs Association.

The chefs representing South Africa on the National Culinary Team are: Henrico Grobbelaar (Southern Sun The Cullinan) – Team Captain, Dion Vengatass (Belmond Mount Nelson), Trevor Boyd (The Michelangelo), Blake Anderson (Montecasino), Minette Smith (HTA School of Culinary Art), Kirstin Hellemann (Belmond Mount Nelson) and Arno Ralph (Lindt & Sprungli).