Four of the five are from Cape Town, while two - Paul Prinsloo and Bianca Strydom – work under the guidance of 2016 S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna Chef of the Year Gregory Czarnecki at The Restaurant at Waterkloof.
Chef de partie Prinsloo heads up The Restaurant’s starters section. Prinsloo’s fascination with food started at a young age and he taught himself some of the basics before attending the HTA School of Culinary Art. Prinsloo says he knew he could do it for the rest of his life, from the very first time he worked in a professional kitchen as an apprentice.
On his decision to enter S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018, he says: “I applied because it is one of the biggest competitions in the culinary world for young chefs. I wanted to test myself to see if I could compete at an international level and with other professionals in the industry.” He hopes that he will be able to showcase his talents on a greater scale.
Strydom, on the other hand, says that she feels extremely honoured to have been selected as a semi-finalist in such a prestigious competition. She entered last year but was unsuccessful. Despite this, she was determined to apply again and showcase what she had learnt from Czarnecki. “He has inspired me to be the chef that I am today. Hearing his stories of his trip to Italy made me feel so motivated to get there one day, and opportunities like this are definitely the building blocks for achieving this.”
She believes that her perfectionism will help set her apart from her competitors. “I have a vision in my head and I fight to create that vision, which I don't think a lot of people do.”
Garth Raubenheimer serves as the sous chef at Restaurant Mosaic in Pretoria. Raubenheimer secured his spot in the semi-finals with his ‘Langoustine in Granny's Garden’ dish. He says, “I just tried to focus on making a good dish, a dish that I could be proud of.”
For Raubenheimer, winning the semi-finals would be a massive achievement and, if he were to be victorious in the grand finale, it would open many doors and afford him international recognition.
Although born and raised in Durban, Sheldon Raju has made the Mother City his home and hopes to open his own restaurant in the city. “I have been fortunate enough to have worked with the best and to have learned from so many.” Raju comes from a long line of great Indian cooks who are known throughout KwaZulu-Natal.
On being chosen as a semi-finalist, he shares: “It’s such a great honour to be representing my continent.” Should he win the semi-final, he says: “It will mean serving as an example for other kids who, like myself, come from less than favourable backgrounds and encouraging them to live out their dreams.”
Vusumuzi Ndlovu is currently working at The Pot Luck Club pop-up restaurant at Marabi Club in Johannesburg. Ndlovu had previously entered the competition and placed third in the semi-finals. This year, he hopes to deliver a better dish than he did the last time and prove to himself that he can do it. “I feel that this second chance is my redemption. It is quite exciting to be able to do it again and nerve-wracking at the same time.”
Ndlovu’s favourite part of being a chef is having the ability to evoke emotions in people and help them create or re-live memories. "It is quite powerful. We don’t need to speak the same language or look the same, but I can cook you something and you will be left transformed.”
