SA chefs to cook up a storm
SANDTON – The Michelangelo's executive chef is heading up the National Culinary Team of South Africa.
Similar to athletes who test their speed and endurance at the Olympics, a chef of the Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton is gearing up for an international competition in his own field – the IKA Culinary Olympics.
South Africa’s ‘Olympic’ chefs have been successful in past competitions and brought home five gold medals from their first outing in 1980 and one gold in 2008. The team, which is now acknowledged by the Department of Arts and Culture as an official South African team, the National Culinary Team, is already preparing and practising for the Culinary Olympics in 2020. The team is led by manager Trevor Boyd, who is also the executive chef at the Michelangelo.
Boyd was part of the National Culinary Team of South Africa that was awarded gold in the competition’s Hot Kitchen category in 2008 and has volunteered his time to mentor the country’s most exciting new chefs to bring home the gold in 2020.
Comprising of senior and junior Olympic hopefuls, the current squad consists of chefs from across the country who gather every two months to practise their craft under Boyd’s watchful, exacting but nurturing care. These sessions are effective team practices and trials that are sponsored, with the chefs having to take leave from their regular jobs to hone their skills with the hope of being included in the final team of eight for the 2020 event.
Boyd has been a member of the culinary team for more than a decade and was appointed team manager in 2016. He will lead the team, sponsored by SA Chefs, to the 2020 event.
In one particular test, the event sees chefs from more than 50 nations given six hours to prepare three-course menus serving 110 people, all under the scrutiny of thousands of spectators and international judges from around the world. A new element to the competition this year is the Chefs Table, a contest that is likely to be the highlight of the event. During this round guests will sit at tables of 10 within the cooking booths and be given an intimate insight into the dishes that are being prepared.
“It’s extremely fulfilling being able to play a part in training and developing the next generation of chefs taking part in the Culinary Olympics, with every team hopeful taking part in the training already being exceptionally talented in their own right,” said Boyd.
“Thanks to the support of SA Chefs, these young chefs have been afforded the incredible opportunity to chase their dreams to compete on the global stage, and being a part of that is truly something special.”
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