Galliova Awards announces new media categories and new judges

2017 Galliova Awards. © Chicken Egg SA.

In addition, the new category introduced last year, the Galliova Broiler Champion of the Year, is expected to attract many more entries this year.

New judges

Heleen Meyer, Russel Wasserfall and Jake Mokwene join long-standing Galliova judges, Dorah Sitole; Anna Montali; Marco Torsius; Marthinette Slabber Stretch and Madeleine de Villiers on the adjudication panel.

The egg-and-chicken race of the #GalliovaAwards2017

Leigh Andrews  26 Oct 2017

Meyer is an independent food consultant who shares her passion for nutritious food on various platforms, from social media, magazine articles and lifestyle events to TV. She has consulted on several recipe books, and is the author of three recipe books, including the award-winning Food from the heart/Onthoukos and Kos is op die Tafel!

Food photographer and writer, Wasserfall has supplied editorial content to every major SA lifestyle magazine and numerous European titles. He is a serial restaurateur, currently dabbling in a pizza place in the Karoo town of Prince Albert. His day job is publishing books about restaurants and food.

Mokwene is a member of the SA Poultry Association (SAPA) board, and owns and runs a successful poultry farming enterprise, Kwena Chicks, in the North West. He previously chaired the Developing Poultry Association, and was appointed Honorary President of SAPA in 2014. A financial planner for the past 28 years, he also owns a company called Wealthvision Bluestar that sells financial products and previously chaired the Royal Bafokeng Business Chamber.

Rest of Galliova Awards judges

Best known for shining the culinary spotlight on the flavours of Africa through her books Recipes with A Touch of Africa, Cape to Cairo and Cooking from Cape to Cairo, Sitole is an acclaimed magazine food stylist and cooking TV show host, and has appeared as a guest chef at numerous 5-star international hotels.

Montali is the former food and deputy editor of Food & Home Entertaining. Prior to her 15-year stint at the magazine, Montali ran her own restaurant and was involved in professional catering, an industry to which she has since returned through the business she today runs with her daughter. She also pens a popular food blog.

Health writers’ entries will once again be judged by Professor Marthinette Slabber Stretch (PTA), a registered dietitian and Emeritus Associate Professor of the University of the Free State, and Madeleine de Villiers (CPT), a nutritional consultant and registered dietitian in private practice.

Marco Torsius, MD of El-Azaar Poultry Farm in Bloemfontein and a member of the SAPA committee, represents the egg industry on the judging panel.

Reminiscing the past, planning the future

The judges will adopt the same stringent, transparent and professional adjudication process as in previous years, with all assessments being checked and independently verified, and part of the adjudication process being observed by members of SAPA and its promotional agency.

The Galliova Awards are sponsored by SA’s broiler and egg producers under the Sapa banner. Mirroring this year’s theme, ‘Reminiscing the past, planning the future’, the organisation has a history spanning 114 years, and continues to look for opportunities to grow and support this agricultural sector for future generations of farmers.

A total of R115,000 in prize money will be awarded in the following categories this year:

• Galliova Food Writer of the Year: R25,000 (print media – monthly and weekly magazines, and newspapers) 
• Galliova Health Writer of the Year: R20,000 (print media – monthly and weekly magazines, and newspapers) 
• Galliova Egg Champion: R20,000 (print media – monthly and weekly magazines, and newspapers; one award; health/food writers can enter)
• Galliova Broiler Champion: R20,000 (print media – monthly and weekly magazines, and newspapers; one award; health/food writers can enter)
• Galliova Up and Coming Food/Health Writer of the Year: R15,000 (print media – monthly and weekly magazines, and newspapers; one award; health/food writers can enter)
• Galliova Online Food/Health Writer of the Year: R15,000 (online media; one award; health/food writers can enter)
• Food and health writers must submit their entries before 4pm on 5 September 2018. In preparing their entries, all competition rules must be followed - available on here

The awards ceremony will be held in Cape Town on 19 October 2018.