It was all about the aroma, flavour and picturesque displays of all things culinary this past Saturday, 9 July at Gaborone’s Cresta Lodge. The hotel played host to the fifth Annual Chefs Culinary Competition. Forty-five chefs from all Cresta hotels across the country, and Zambia were looking to outclass each other as they competed in various categories for the competition’s biggest prize.
At the end it was Cresta Golf View Hotel (Zambia)’s Helen Mathandiko who out-baked them all to win scoop the overall prize. Mathandiko had also taken first position for the pastry category where they had been asked to prepare enough for eight people.
“There is so much competition here that I don’t see myself coming out tops,” the nervous Mathandiko had confided to Arts & Society just before results were announced.
“We had about four chefs from each of our hotels across Botswana as well as Zambia competing in different categories ranging from live cooking, pastry ,main course, desert, and starter among other categories,” Cresta’s Group operations Manager ,Jonathan Cox said.
For the live cooking category the chefs were given ingredients and had to think about what dish to prepare within an hour. Cox said the competition is held to promote and encourage Cresta chefs to showcase their creativity and talent and also learn about the latest trends in the culinary art.
Through the Chefs Culinary Competition the chefs are given an opportunity to show off the excellent culinary skills that exist within Cresta hotels, Cox said. After the announcement of winners for the day the judges-Steve Morris, McJohn Mosenene, Godfery Khupe- explained to the particpants how they were judged. “It’s more like training,” Cox said.
Winners from other categories included; Obakeng Matsoga,Marriam Chibeka,Neo Makgosi , and Mosalaesi Josiah.
