Staff Reporter
IF you’re a food enthusiast, keep your eye out for Heinz Banks, Benita Ishekwa, and Helena Petrus, as they were recently declared the culinary stars of the 2023 Chef of the Year Competition.
Ishekwa, representing Silverspoon Hospitality Academy, and Banks, an instructor at Waldorf School, were declared the winners in the Junior Chef Division and the Senior Chef Division, respectively. Meanwhile, Petrus, also from Waldorf School, was crowned the winner in the Schools Chefs category.
The 2023 Chef of the Year Competition, hosted by the Namibia Chefs Association, unfolded in Windhoek from the 5th to 7th September 2023. The scorching showdown of flavours was judged by the palates of Chef Curt Burns from Avani Hotel, Chef Sean Stevenson from Hilton Hotel, and Sanet Prinsloo, the only internationally qualified and recognized chef in Namibia.
Judging adhered to the rigorous standards set by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), ensuring that participants would receive certificates affirming their culinary expertise on a global scale.
The competition tasked the chefs to conjure their culinary magic using aubergine, pearled barley, and Parmesan to craft a starter. The main course featured chicken Kiev, two vegetables prepared in distinct fashions, a starch of their choice, and the luscious Sauce Soubisse, a French Onion Sauce. For dessert, they were tasked with creating chocolate mousse, a fruit coullis and a touilles.
While Banks, Ishekwa, and Petrus emerged as the champions in their respective categories, the competition also shone a spotlight on other rising culinary stars. In fact, it celebrated the runners-ups and those who demonstrated mastery in kitchen hygiene.
In the Junior Chefs category, reserved for those under 25, Jennifer Ndinelago and Sanette de Wit were declared second and third best, respectively. Among the Senior Chefs, Ronaldo Katjiheve and Elizabeth Isai distinguished themselves as the second and third best, while Dominique Theron and Jescynthia Eises secured second and third place, respectively, in the Schools Chefs category. Eises, however, walked away with two prizes, as she was also named the chef with the best hygiene and kitchen practices.
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