Cape Legends is donating wine and prizes and funding the overseas travel of the challenge winner in the début Inter Hotel Challenge, aimed at promoting mentorship and advancing the transfer of skills within the Western Cape hotel and tourism industries. The South African Chefs Academy (SACA) and Showcook.com are running the social responsibility initiative.
The challenge involves a line-up of luxury Western Cape hotels and their executive chefs and sommeliers or wine ambassadors, supporting and mentoring candidate chefs and wine stewards to create optimal wine and food pairings. These are currently being introduced at individual lunches organised by each participating hotel.
Judges evaluating the pairings are Marilyn Cooper, CEO of the Cape Wine Academy; Chefs Paul Hartmann and Brian McCune, both members of SACA; Marieta Human of the Western Cape Pork Producers' Association, accomplished sommelier Higgo Jacobs and Cape Legends' wine ambassador, Carolyn Miller-Krogh.
The food and wine combinations they select will be presented and judged at the finals, an intensive two-day cook-off at the South African Chefs Academy in Cape Town, 28-29 August 2013.
The winning food and wine partnership will be announced at an exclusive black-tie charity event at the Vineyard Hotel & Spa on 26 September, with the proceeds shared equally amongst StreetSmart SA, Our Kids of the Cape and Friends of ARO Outreach.
In addition to the return flight to Bangkok for the winning trainee chef, Cape Legends is donating the wines for all the pairing and judging events, as well as for the black-tie charity finale dinner at the Vineyard Hotel & Spa. Its is also donating wines and experiences that will be raffled in aid of the three charities. These include a case of Desiderius MCC, an overnight stay at the beautiful Plaisir de Merle wine estate situated between Paarl and Franschhoek and wine blending experience with winemaker Guy Webber of Stellenzicht Wine Estate.
Participating hotels
La Residence (The Royal Portfolio) and Stellenzicht Wine Estate
Executive chef: Lennard Marais
Candidate chef: Phumeza Maxwele
Candidate wine steward: Evan Sampson
Winemaker: Guy Webber
Taj Cape Town and Zonnebloem Wines
Executive chef: Shyam Longani
Candidate chef: Shu-Aib Bassier
Sommelier: Tatiana Marcetteau
Candidate wine steward: Ayanda Mkune
Winemaker (cellarmaster): Deon Boshoff
The Queen Victoria Hotel and Durbanville Hills Wines
Executive chef: Craig Paterson
Chef du cuisine: James Dempster
Candidate chef: Thaabiet Adams
F&B manager: Chris Weston
Candidate wine steward: Francisco Domingos
Winemaker (cellarmaster): Martin Moore
Radisson Blu and Fleur Du Cap Wines
Executive chef: Grant Kennedy
Candidate chef: Bonga Galada
Candidate wine steward: Heinrich La Meyer
Winemaker: Sanelisiwe (Praisy) Dlamini
Mount Nelson and Uitkyk Wine Estate
Executive chef: Rudi Liebenberg
Candidate chef: Catherine Adonis
Sommelier: Carl Habel
Candidate wine steward: Farai Magwada
Winemaker: Estelle Lourens
The Vineyard Hotel & Spa and Desiderius and Pongrácz Méthode Cap Classique
Executive chef: Alex Docherty
Executive sous chef: Shane Louw
Candidate chef: Samantha Temmers
Candidate wine steward: Ndaba Dube
Winemaker: Elunda Basson
Bushmans Kloof and Lomond Wines
Executive Chef: Floris Smith
Candidate chef: Sorita Booysen
Candidate wine steward: Jeffrey Dalingozi
F&B manager: Michel Bouic
Winemaker and viticulturist: Kobus Gerber and Wayne Gabb
The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa and Neethlingshof Wine Estate
Executive sous chef: Christo Pretorius
Candidate chef: Oscar Ndlovu
Sommelier: Gregory Mutambe
F&B Manager: Gavin Ferreira
Candidate wine steward: Brian Mahlangu
Winemaker: De Wet Viljoen
The One&Only Cape Town and Le Bonheur Wine Estate
Chef du Cuisine for Reuben Riffel: Victoria Stott
Candidate chef: Michelle Jeftha
Sommelier: Luvo Ntezo
Candidate wine steward: Tinashe Nyamudoka
Winemaker: Lauren Snyman
The Cape Grace and Plaisir De Merle Wine Estate
Chef: Malika van Reenen
Candidate chef: Gert Böcking
F&B: Michael Liffman
Candidate wine steward: Marlvin Gwese
Winemaker: Niel Bester
Prizes
The challenge winner prizes include a three-month working stint for the top candidate chef at the luxurious five-star Sukhothai Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, with flights paid for by Cape Legends. The Cape Wine Academy is sponsoring bursaries up to the value of R35 000 for the top three wine stewards. The Queen Victoria Hotel is donating R15 000 towards the education of the winning candidate chef and wine steward. The finest KitchenAid equipment will be awarded to both the winning baker and, by extension, the hotel. Le Creuset will be giving away top-of-the range pans while Indispensible Scanpan knives will be presented to the top candidates. Lindt is offering three Master Classes for the successful candidates and Random House Struik will be sponsoring books.
