Waterkloof's Paul Thinus Prinsloo wins 2019 S.Pellegrino Young Chef Regional Award
The Restaurant at Waterkloof's Chef de Partie, Paul Thinus Prinsloo, will represent Africa and the Middle East at the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Finale in 2020 after winning the regional semi-final. The grand finale will take place in Milan from 8 to 9 May 2020.
Prinsloo won the judges over with his signature dish, Bouillabaisse 2.0 – a contemporary interpretation of a classic based on the traditional Provençal fish stew originating from France.
The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Regional Award presented to Prinsloo is voted for by the regional jury. The award is given to the chef who has unrivalled technical skills, genuine creativity and an exceptional, strong personal belief about gastronomy.
“I’m excited to be competing in the finale in Milan next year. There were a few mistakes on my part under the pressure today but I am always striving for perfection. I will be ready when I go up against the top chefs in Milan,” he says.
Prinsloo has won the opportunity to compete for the overall title of S.Pellegrino Young Chef at the finale, however, a further three young chef’s were also recognised at the semi-final.
The following three awards were introduced to the competition to compliment the existing S.Pellegrino Young Chef award:
Acqua Panna Award for Connection in Gastronomy – voted for by the regional mentors, the winner of this award produced a dish that represents diversity and recognises the beauty of different cultures coming together to create something fresh and exciting. Elissa Abou Tasse from Beirut took the award for her dish, Adam’s Garden.
Fine Dining Lovers Community Award – voted for by the online Fine Dining Lovers community, this award is for the young chef who best represents their personal belief through their dish. Marcus Gericke from Qunu Restaurant in Johannesburg took this award for his dish, Remembrance (Quail Consommé).
S.Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility – voted for by Food Made Good, the internationally-recognised voice on sustainability in food, this dish represents the principle that food is best when it is the result of sustainable practices. Callan Austin from Le coin Français, Cape Town took this award for his dish, The Ghost Net.
All of the winners of the additional three awards will also be invited to attend the grand finale.
To stay updated with announcements and news ahead of the grand finale in May 2020, you can visit the websites www.sanpellegrino.com/intl/en and www.finedininglovers.com.
