Acclaimed chef Zinzi Rwicila, known as Chef Zinzi, is inviting the Buffalo City Metro community to an epic culinary challenge on 6 September in East London.
Known for her unique seasonal dishes as well as kitchen banquet and à la carte operations, the Mthatha-born skilled chef who has had an outstanding career in the hospitality and culinary arts told the Express that she has always had a passion for cooking, but her official culinary journey started in 2014 after being retrenched from a company she worked for.
“I decided to enrol at a catering and hospitality school where I graduated top of my class, taking home the Chef of the Year award in 2016. I opened my own restaurant in Beacon Bay which did very well but had to close it down after numerous challenges that came with the COVID-19 disaster.”
She has cooked and catered for the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, South African celebrity chef and food expert Siba Mtongana, and many other prominent figures.
“As an individual who is self-motivated and believes that there is always room for elevation, I binge-watch cooking shows to keep up with the trends as we operate in an evolving industry,” she said.
Speaking about the competition, Chef Zinzi, who is currently coaching future chefs, said she has teamed up with a couple of businesses to host a fun competition.
“The competition is more like a masterclass but with awesome prizes to be won,” she explained.
“It is an exciting contest where the cooks will challenge their culinary abilities, explore new ingredients, undertaking tasks and challenges in a relaxed environment.
“There will also be a mystery basket with a selection of unknown ingredients that the contestants must creatively use to create a dish.”
She said the competition is open to anyone.
“Couples can come. Friends can come, even corporates can come for team-building as this is a nice way of getting everyone together in a relaxed and comfortable but also fun setting.”
To secure your place in the competition, please email Mivuyo at Mivuyo.ma@easylife.co.za. Entries close on 1 September.
