Top chefs cook off in ultimate challenge

The Namibian Chefs Association announced this week its annual Ultimate Establishment Challenge will take place on 26 March in the kitchen of the Polytechnic Hotel Training School in Windhoek West.

Spokesperson for the Chefs Association, Sanet Prinsloo said “We started this event to make some money for the association and to give the top establishments a chance to compare themselves to the opposition and to have some fun with their fellow chefs in the kitchen.  As it evolved, it is not the money spinner we hoped for, but we just can not not drop it, because it is so much fun. This year we got pestered by previous contestants about the date long before it was set.  They can not wait to do it again because they learned so much. And this is what the Namibian Chefs Association is all about”. Describing the competition, Prinsloo said “This year we already have Na’an ku se, Superspar Grove Bistro, Sossus Dune Lodge, Okutala Lodge and Bauernstube on board. It will make us very happy if we could convince two or three more establishments to venture into a strange environment and to join the festivities.” The rules of the cook-off state that every establishment comes with four staff member, two for the kitchen and two for the front-of-house side. “They come with food, drink, cutlery and crockery for 10 guests. They get an empty table and chairs and guests. They get three and a half hours to cook a three course meal for their guests. We have very competent judges like Philip Klynsmit and Ralf Herrgott in the kitchen, Liesl Louw on table decoration, Carol-Jean Rechter and Alida Siebert on service and Mike Rautenbach on liquid pairing” she said.  South African celebrity chefs, Jeff Schueremans and Arnold Tanzer will judge the food.