The cream of the culinary crop to go head-to-head at Hostex Gauteng 2013

Published: 9 February 2013

The return of Africa’s leading hospitality and catering exhibition, Hostex, which makes its way back to the Sandton Convention Centre heralds exciting changes to one of South Africa’s most popular trade expos. From 17 to 20 March 2013, visitors will be treated to four full days of hospitality industry networking, edu-tainment, service and product sourcing and everyone’s favourite, the culinary competitions.

Some of the action to expect at Hostex Gauteng 2013 includes:

South African Chefs Village

Visitors will be able to learn secrets and tricks from top chefs as they perform demonstrations daily. The Chefs Village has undergone a facelift and will feature a brand new stand design. The South African Chefs Association will be putting chefs - young and old - to the test with exciting competitions, including the City & Guilds Student Skills Challenge and Nestlé Professional Golden Chefs Hat competition, as well as two new surprise competitions.

The City & Guilds Student Skills challenge will see four teams of two students from South Africa’s top culinary schools competing against each other to demonstrate their skills. They will be tested over the four days of Hostex and be put through their paces in the daily challenges. The winning team will take home the highly coveted City & Guilds Skills Challenge Trophy, R5 000 cash prize, and the 2013 City & Guilds Skills Challenge Winners title.

The Nestlé Golden Chefs Hat award is a prestigious competition the world over. Chefs who have won this coveted award have gone on to international fame and glory. It is a team mystery box challenge using an assortment of Nestlé Professional products and guarantees excellent entertainment value at the show.

Another great attraction at the Chefs Village will be Culinary Team South Africa. Our Culinary Springboks returned from the IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany in October last year with one gold medal, one silver medal and five bronze medals. Visitors will be able to see Culinary Team South Africa members showcasing their award-winning culinary skills. Team management will also be on the look-out for new talent at Hostex Gauteng 2013.

The South African Chefs Association will also be giving out the Prestigious Bryan Montgomery Award, sponsored by Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery, the organisers of Hostex, to a deserving young chef student. The bursary carries a value of R26 000 and will enable one future chef to realise his or her culinary dreams.

Global Pizza Challenge

The Global Pizza Challenge (GPC) has become a tradition at Hostex, attracting pizza lovers to experience the thrill as around 30 pizza makers create the recipes that earned them a place in the 2013 GPC. Staged in paired cook offs, finalists will battle it out over the four days of the show, culminating in the grand finale, with acclaimed local and international chefs making the decision on who will take the title of South African Global Pizza Challenge champion.

Barista Championship

The Specialty Coffee Association of Southern Africa (SCASA) will once again host the Barista Championship, where Baristas will be expected to prepare four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks to exacting standards in a 15-minute performance set to music. Judges will then evaluate each Barista’s performance, including the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill and overall presentation to determine the winners.

SCASA is also proud to host a Cup Tasters, Latte Art and Aero Press competitions, all aimed at giving visitors an even more interactive and entertaining experience of coffee. The Cup Tasters competition will test the skills of competitors to distinguish between different coffee tastes.

For more information on the Hostex Gauteng 2013 exhibition please visit www.hostex.co.za or call (011) 835-1565. Pre-register online to avoid the registration queues and need for an entry ticket. Entry without a ticket or by pre-registering is R50. No under 18’s, prams, toddlers or babies permitted. Entry for third year students only on the final day of the show by prior arrangement with the organisers via the website.