MasterChef Australia winner for Good Food & Wine Show

Brenty - as his fellow contestants called him - won the hearts of millions around the globe when he won the sixth season of MasterChef Australia and became a firm favourite, thanks to his unassuming and down-to-earth approach.

Viewers love an underdog and Owens faced numerous elimination challenges in the hit series. However, the former bobcat driver took the title and went on to honour the pact he made with fellow contestant Emelia Jackson that if either won the coveted spot they would give the other a $50,000 share of their winnings.

His book Dig In reflects his personal philosophy of cooking - "to build your own take on something traditional".

"I have tried to keep my recipes achievable; they are all traditional recipes with my own twist on them. Food is one of the most important things in our lives. It's in every part of life, it's in every positive and negative time of life, it is the glue that binds our lives together, but people often don't recognise how important food is," he said.

He admits that he didn't really take to cooking until he was in his late teens: "You really don't know what your passion is when you are 18 or 19. I didn't realise food was my passion until I started watching food shows," he said.

Modern African food movement

Burundian chef Coco Reinarhz is at the forefront of the modern African food movement thanks to his restaurants Le Petit Sel Bistro and Le Sel.

His innovative fine-dining Afro-fusion culinary style, combines classic French cuisine with the most opulent of African flavours. Alongside French culinary gems, Reinarhz has introduced dishes such as Ivorian Assigni crab, palm nut-infused chicken, amadumbe and wild mushroom mille feuilles, as well as a yam and crayfish rice melange inspired by the Senegalese national dish, Thiebou Dienne.

Through his restaurants, he is determined to reveal the fine flavours of African cuisine.

He has co-authored To the Banqueting House: African Cuisine an Epic Journey which won an international award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Reinarhz attended the Hotel Management School at Ecole Hotelière de Namur in Belgium, but his heart was in Africa. He became the Head Chef at Château de Sombreffe outside of Brussels and was awarded the prestigious Trois Fourchette Michelin award. He has now made South Africa his home.

Owens and Reinarhz will be joining cook, TV personality, author and raconteur Tom Parker Bowles, UK MasterChef judge John Torode and Australian patissier and chef Adriano Zumbo as well as South African television cooking personalities Jenny Morris (aka the Giggling Gourmet), MasterChef South Africa judge Benny Masekwameng and Siba Mtongana, presenter of Siba's Table.

Other highlights at this year's show include a new attraction the well.i.am. Kitchen Theatre which will provide show-goers with all the latest trends on favourite health and wellness brands and is hosted by health expert Lisa Raleigh.

Tickets are available through Computicket (www.computicket.com) or at the door.

www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za