In October last year, and to celebrate its 21st anniversary, Capsicum Culinary Studio, South Africa’s leading culinary school, pledged to give away a staggering 21 bursaries as prizes in its Capsicum Culinaire Challenge competition.
To enter, contestants were invited to visit the Capsicum Culinary Studio website and upload a video showcasing their culinary skills, demonstrating the entire cooking process, from ingredient selection to the final presentation of the dish, highlighting the entrant’s proficiency in culinary techniques, creativity with ingredients and attention to plating and presentation.
Applicants also had to include an introduction explaining their choice of dish, ingredients used and why it was representative of their skills, as well as write a motivation at to why they should be the recipient of a bursary.
With over 550 entries received the judges had a tough task of whittling down the number of finalists, but eventually selected just 63 to participate in live cook-offs that will be held at the school’s seven campuses around the country on Saturday, January 18.
Explains Capsicum Culinary Studio MD Renee Hill: “The cook off will start at 9h00 at our campuses in Boksburg, Cape Town, Durban, Nelson Mandela Bay, Pretoria, Rosebank (Johannesburg) and Ruimsig and the finalists in those regions will have about three hours to prepare their dish. Each campus will have a mystery box, the contents of which the finalists will not know until they arrive on the day. This will add an exciting element to the competition.
“The Capsicum Culinaire Challenge cook-offs have the official endorsement of the SA Chefs Association with chefs from the Association joining us as judges, and the 21 bursary winners will be announced live on the day of the competition.”
The bursaries on offer include a one-year Professional Chef Programme, a one-year Professional Patisserie Programme and a six-month Foundational Cookery Programme.
Hill also reveals that members of the public are invited to watch the live cook-offs and says it’s also “a great chance for visitors to register for our culinary programmes and learn more about Capsicum Culinary Studio.”
For those unable to join in the fun on January 18, there is also an opportunity to attend a registration evening at each of the Capsicum Culinary Studio’s campuses on Tuesday, January 28 from 18h00 to 20h00. Further registration days and evenings will take place next month on the following days:
- Saturday, February 1 from 09h00 to 12h00
- Sunday, February 2 from 09h00 to 12h00
- Wednesday, February 5 from 18h00 to 20h00
- Friday, February 7 from 18h00 to 20h00
- Saturday, February 8 from 09h00 to 12h00
For more information call 086 111 2433 or email [email protected].
