Winners of the women in food FOOD XX Awards announced
In celebration of women in food, Studio H and Eat Out held the very first FOOD XX Symposium and Awards on 12 February 2019. With a focus on giving back, sustainability and future food, the awards are aimed at rejoicing women in the food and drinks industry beyond the kitchen - including farmers, food stylists and fresh voices in food media.
Chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Karen Dudley of much-loved The Kitchen in Woodstock won the In the Kitchen award for her wholesome, plant-forward, flavourful food that’s created a loyal community in Cape Town. The award for Front of House went to Gosia Zielińska, sommelier at The Pot Luck Club. Nikki Albertyn of thriving patisserie LionHeart was awarded the Bakers prize and Lucy Beard, distiller and co-founder of Hope on Hopkins, won the Alcohol prize. The Secret Ingredient award went to Brigitte Lilley for her work at the ever-popular Jason Bakery.
Karen Dudley
Lucy Beard
In media, the Food Styling award went to food artist Caro De Waal and the Burger King Fresh Voices award honoured freelance food and culture writer Ishay Govender-Ypma for her work on the intersection of food, culture, justice and representation.
The Woolworths Farming award went to third generation beekeeper Mokgadi Mabela whose business, Native Nosi, proudly harvests local honey in an industry where much of our honey is imported. The Heritage award was shared by Mpho Tshukudu and Anna Trapido who worked together on Eat Ting, a cookbook highlighting indigenous African superfoods for health. The Spier Sustainability award went to Roushanna Gray of Veld and Sea for her efforts to highlight our local edible plant culture and to educate people on foraging. Zayaan Khan is a South African coordinator for the Slow Food Youth Network and an expert on entomophagy – the practice of eating insects. She was awarded the Woolworths Future Food award.
Mokgadi Mabela
Zayaan Khan
The Krone Entrepreneur award went to Hilda Adams whose business Weskus Mandjie offers a way to make a living for local women in the fishing village of Mamre by making preserves and other homemade products. Judge and editor of food magazine Chips! Alix-Rose Cowie said, “Hilda is a shining example of small scale entrepreneurship changing lives. She’s found a way to market and monetise local knowledge and traditional crafts to empower women.”
Award-winning chef Margot Janse’s Isabelo project was honoured with the Woolworths Giving Back award for her drive to feed hungry school children in the Franschhoek area. The Food Educator award went to renowned Chef Jackie Cameron for her mentorship of her students at the Jackie Cameron School of Food & Wine in Hilton, KZN.
Chef Jackie Cameron
Dorah Sitole
The winner of the Food Icon award was the inimitable Dorah Sitole for her contribution to the food industry in the country. An African food expert, her career spans 40 years as a cookbook author, food stylist, travel writer and food editor of True Love magazine for over two decades. Judge chef Mokgadi Itsweng said, “She is the first black food writer, mentor and mom to women in food all over Africa. She is the first person to introduce food as a career option to most of us – before her there was nothing.”
FOOD XX was started by food designers Studio H as a platform and movement that delivers empowering content for women by women in the food and drinks industry in South Africa. The Awards’ focus is on celebrating women across the food industry in response to previous exclusion or tokenism of women in industry competitions and awards shows worldwide. Founder Hannerie Visser says, “The whole idea about FOOD XX is that we talk about current injustices and find solutions together, whilst simultaneously redressing exclusion and tokenism of womxn in the past.”
Full list of winners:
Alcohol - Lucy Beard, distiller Hope on Hopkins
Krone Entrepreneur - Hilda Adams, fisherwoman, activist and founder of Weskus Mandjie
Food Educator - Jackie Cameron of Jackie Cameron School of Food & Wine
Woolworths Giving Back - Margot Janse of Isabelo
Food Styling - Caro De Waal
In the Kitchen - Karen Dudley of The Kitchen
Burger King Fresh Voices - Ishay Govender-Ypma
Bakers - Nikki Albertyn of LionHeart
Front of house - Gosia Zielińska, Sommelier at The Pot Luck Club
Spier Sustainability - Roushanna Gray of Veld and Sea
Secret ingredient - Brigitte Lilley of Jason Bakery
Woolworths Farming - Mokgadi Mabela, bee keeper and founder of Native Nosi
Heritage - Mpho Tshukudu and Anna Trapido
Woolworths Future Food - Zayaan Khan
Food Icon - Dorah Sitole
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