RCL Foods Young Chefs & Bakers Challenge 2023 a plaform for young chefs

Image supplied. Simthandile Nomandla from FBI Chef School & Patisserie Academy, winning baker in the 2022 RCL Foods Young Baker competition

The first placed team will win R30,000, second place R20,000, and third place R15,000 (split equally between the team participants).

Presented by RCL Foods, in collaboration with the South African Chefs Association (SA Chefs), the Challenge, which combines the Young Chef and Young Baker categories, presents a platform for full-time culinary students in South Africa to demonstrate their talent.

“The competition offers a tremendous opportunity for the participants to make a name in the industry and pave the way for a successful culinary career,” comments Chef Lesley Jacobs, competitions director of SA Chefs.

Platform to showcase skills

"By creating a platform for young chefs and bakers to showcase their talent, we are fostering culinary expertise in our industry and establishing a positive, sustainable impact,” says Brad Kavanagh, RCL Foods head chef.

The integrated competition encourages aspiring chefs and bakers to showcase their skills in both fields, competing in teams of two and entering their creative recipes using RCL Foods, Rainbow, Siqalo Foods, and LiveKindly products, among others.

The competition is open to legal residents of South Africa, aged between 18 and 27 years, who are enrolled with a professional institution or in a service (traineeship) programme focusing on the culinary arts or a professional cookery programme.

RCL's Young Chef and Young Baker winners announced

20 Oct 2022

Compete in stages

Successful participants will then compete in stages including semi-finals and a grand national final.

The semi-finals take place in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Gauteng and Cape Town on 14 September.

For the semi-finals teams will be tasked with crafting a bread course, a restaurant main course, and a dessert, to showcase the full spectrum of their cooking and baking skills.

The competition culminates in the finale on 12 October, when the three best teams from each regional cluster will compete. This is based on criteria such as the correct use of pre-determined ingredients, creativity, presentation, innovation, and technical correctness.

A panel of judges from SA Chefs will adjudicate the entries.

The competition closes on 31 July 2023 just before midnight.

For further details about the competition rules, prizes, and to download entry forms, please visit the RCL Foods website.