There’s more than R500 000 in bursaries on offer as part of Capsicum Culinary Studio’s much anticipated 20th anniversary celebration.
To celebrate the occasion, South Africa’s top culinary school – with six campuses located in Rosebank (Johannesburg), Boksburg, Pretoria, Durban, Nelson Mandela Bay and Cape Town – has launched its bigger-than-ever Chef Talent Scout competition.
For the first time, six winners – one from each region – will receive what could be a life-changing bursary to study, for one year, either the Professional Chef or the Professional Patisserie Programme, at the school campus in their area.
Candice Adams, Academic Operations Manager at Capsicum Culinary Studio, said: “The aim of the competition is to find the best untapped culinary talent in the country. It’s also an excellent opportunity for aspiring chefs and pâtissiers to kick-start their careers and gain the necessary skills to become world-class professionals.”
The mechanics of the Chef Talent Scout competition are simple. Entrants are requested to make a video of their creative dish (two minutes or less in duration) and post it on their Facebook and/or Instagram pages, tagging @Capsicumcooking with the hashtag #ChefTalentScout2023. Videos can also be submitted via the Capsicum Culinary Studio Chef Talent Scout website page at https://www.capsicumcooking.com/chef-talent-scout or sent directly to chef@capsicumcooking.co.za, along with the recipe and entrant’s name and contact details.
Once all the submissions have been reviewed, the top 20 entrants in each of the campus locations will be invited to cook their dish at their nearest Capsicum Culinary Studio campus and from there, the top five from each campus will move on to a live round where they will compete in a mystery box challenge.
The winner will be chosen from the top five and each campus will crown a Chef Talent Scout Winner, to whom a one-year Professional Chef or Professional Patisserie Programme bursary will be awarded.
The Patisserie Programme is designed for learners who identify with meticulous detail and patient practice.
The course covers all major theoretical, practical and workplace components of kitchen operations, patisserie practice and the basics of advanced pastry applications. Cost control and operational business management principles are also core focuses. The course is CATHSSETA accredited and comes with a certification of National Certificate Patisserie (NQF Level 5, SAQA ID 73292) and a Certificate of Completion in association with Lobster Ink and the Culinary Institute of America. Minimum entry requirements include NQF level 4 or Grade 12 and being 18 years of age. Admissions are open in February and July.
The Professional Chef Programme covers all major theoretical, practical and workplace components of kitchen operations and culinary practice.
It includes a focus on soft skills such as kitchen supervision, self-development and communication. The course is CATHSSETA accredited and comes with a certification of Professional Cookery (NQF Level 4, SAQA ID 14111) and a Certificate of Completion in association with Lobster Ink and the Culinary Institute of America.
Minimum entry requirements include NQF Level 2 or Gr 10 with Maths Literacy and being 18 years of age. Admissions are open in February and July.
Video entries close at 12:00 on Friday, 28 July, with first stage judging taking place on 31 July and 1 August. Successful entrants will be notified on 2 August and the live cook-off and final judging will take place on Saturday, 26 August
All details and T&Cs can be found at https://www.capsicumcooking.com/chef-talent-scout
