The prize giving event for this year’s One&Only Reaching for Young Stars Challenge will be held at Reuben’s at the One&Only, and will be attended by an impressive group of food industry role players, including Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk as Keynote Speaker.
The Hurst Campus, an internationally accredited tertiary training centre for young culinary and hospitality management talent, is one of only three top hospitality schools participating in this year’s Challenge. A third student from The Hurst Campus, Benine Koch, who competed in the Head Waiters category, is also among the candidates in line for a winning spot.
Now in its fifth year, the competition is an innovation of much-loved former Fairlady food editor and entrepreneur Annette Kesler, founder of Showcook.com. She created this platform to inspire young people to pursue a career in South Africa’s burgeoning hospitality industry, where comprehensive training and development is paramount.
Two talented students from The Hurst Campus, Emma Hofmans and Frans
Braamse – participants in the Cheffing category of this year’s One&Only Reaching for Young Stars Challenge, will have their culinary creation showcased at the Press Lunch on Friday 6 September to announce winners in each competition category.
Guests will be seated for a celebratory feast of note, including the Main Course, created by Emma Hofmans and Frans Braamse of The Hurst Campus, under the guidance of Head Chef Lecturer Ronan Boucher: Pork Fillet Wellington, a braisage of pork shoulder served with buttermilk and thyme bread, apple cream, caraway vinaigrette and shiraz jus.
Participating students from the South African Chefs Academy and the Cape Town Hotel School (part of the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology) have put their best foot forward with the creation of the Starter and Dessert.
SA’s only major food competition for young chefs
As South Africa’s only major food competition for aspiring junior chefs, the One&Only Reaching for Young Stars Challenge is designed to offer young people the opportunity to show off their skills, and to challenge them to raise the bar for others in the industry. It also gives the next generation invaluable exposure to seasoned, successful chefs.
The judges
This year’s participants will be judged by a panel of experts and industry professionals that include Reuben’s One&Only Chef Reuben Riffel; television food personality Michael Olivier; Marieta Human of the SA Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO); and Creating Quality & Design Managing Director and former Executive Chef of the Carlton Johannesburg, Wolfgang Leyrer; as well as Floris Smith, Executive Chef at Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat.
Sponsors of this year’s prizes are the One&Only Cape Town, Allée Bleue Wine Estate, the South African Pork Producers Organisation, Khoisan Trading, KitchenAid, AL&CD Ashley, Lindt & Sprüngli and Struik Lifestyle.