2014 has seen the growth in this initiative extending to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal with a total of 21 hotels on board and in the process evolving into the CAPE LEGENDS INTER HOTEL CHALLENGE who with their superb wine estates are a force in this initiative, having the vision to take on this social responsibility by partnering with the eleven top participating hotels in the Cape, five in Johannesburg and five in Durban. Creating a window for the industry as a whole, an opportunity for hotels to become a unified force and powerful entity for tourism.The hotel industry in South Africa, one of our strongest pillars of tourism, is playing an enormous and largely unsung role in the upliftment, training, mentoring and nurturing of thousands of young people that come into the industry. They arrive, often with little education and few skills, at the bottom of the ladder. These trainees, representative of our multi-faceted cultures each with their unique culinary heritage, provide the backbone of our hotel kitchens and beyond. From these small beginnings to successful careers!Showcook’s role in the Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge is to provide the opportunity and inspiration for the most talented, creative trainees. Giving them goals and the possibility of achieving success, not only in South Africa, but internationally to become ambassadors for our hospitality industry.Over the years, through their development and tenacity, these trainees have gone on to become excellent chefs at our unrivalled safari lodges and restaurants, made a name for themselves as authors, starred on television and made an impact through social networks, thus honouring their mentors in the broadest sense and acknowledging the selfless, unstinted assistance they received.This applies equally to the role of the wine stewards who are put through a rigorous training programme. It is gratifying to see the amazing development, sheer determination and concentration they bring to this role as they strive to achieve the goal of becoming a fully-fledged sommelier.Cape Legends’ aim is highlighting the culture of mentorship, promoting skills development and over time promote from within. Launching in three cities in March with keynote speaker Minister of South African Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk at TAJ, Cape Town; in Durban at the Oyster Box, Moses Thembe (ex-President of the Durban Chamber of Commerce, currently CEO Crescendo Venture Capital) and in Johannesburg at the Southern Sun Hyde Park, Sandton, Andrew Rogers (CEO Hospitality Property Fund) and Dr Billy Gallagher. At each launch we will be doing a draw for the wine/hotel partnerships.Our participating wine estates are: Alto, Durbanville Hills, Fleur Du Cap, Le Bonheur, Lomond, Neethlingshof, Plaisir de Merle, Pongrácz, Stellenzicht, Uitkyk, ZonnebloemJohannesburg Hotels: 54 on Bath, Michelangelo, Protea Hotel Balalaika Sandton, Radisson Blu Gautrain, Southern Sun Hyde Park Sandton Durban Hotels: Beverly Hills, Hilton, Oyster Box, Southern Sun Elangeni& Maharani, Zimbali Cape Town Hotels: Birkenhead House & Birkenhead Villa, Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat, Cape Grace, Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, One&Only Cape Town, Queen Victoria, Radisson Blu Waterfront, Southern Sun The Cullinan & Southern Sun Waterfront, Taj, Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Vineyard HotelJudges evaluating the pairings at the regional cook-offs in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town are Paul Hartmann (South African Chefs Academy), Brian McCune (Accredited judge of the World Association of Chefs Society), Heinz Brunner (Honorary Lifetime President of the South African Chefs Association and past Vice-Chairman of the World Body of Chefs), Wolfgang Leyrer (past Executive Chef of the Carlton and part of the Culinary Olympics team and now Hospitality Consultant), Marieta Human (Nutritionist representing South African Pork Producers’ Organisation), Chris de Klerk (Cape Legends), Marilyn Cooper (Former CEO Cape Wine Academy), Higgo Jacobs (South African Sommelier Association), Samarie Smith (Media 24), Kristina Beuthner (CWA), GermainLehodey (Sommelier), Markus Banzinger (Past Executive Chef at ICC and now Catering Concepts Consulting) and Fatima Stanley (City & Guilds External Verifier).Candidate Chefs are to present a well-balanced three-course menu, which will include the use of Rio Largo olive oil, Khoisan Sea Salt (used judiciously), bearing in mind health, the main course being versatile pork with a total cost of R150. The starter, main and dessert should be paired within the range of the partnered wine estate.Candidate Chefs will be mentored by their respective Executive Chefs, while the Candidate Wine Stewards by their Sommeliers.“Talent, creativity, skill and enthusiasm iswhat they will be bringing to their menu,” says Annette Kesler, Editor Showcook.com.“In addition we will strive to inculcate the use of excellent and pure ingredients, which we hope will become part of their food philosophy.” While Paul Hartmann, Director of South African Chefs Academy (SACA), says, “At any culinary competition, taste is paramount. The winners should present well balanced dishes with attention to detail and excellent flavor combinations.”The Regional Cook-Offs will be taking place in JHB, Tuesday 3rd June at the HTA School of Culinary Art with Stephan Billingham,in Durban on Thursday 5th June at the International Hotel School and in Cape Town on Wednesday 11th June and Thursday 12th June at the South African Chefs Academy (SACA), while the finals will take place in Cape Town at SACA. The winners will be announced at a black tie dinner at the Mount Nelson on Friday 25th July where 21 hotels will be participating. Here, prizes will be announced for the ‘Best Table’ dressed in shades of gold judged by Jay Smith of the Jay Smith Collection and Debbie Hall of the Hall Collection. ‘Best Bread’,‘Most Up & Coming Wine Steward’, ‘Best Wine Steward’, ‘Most Promising Candidate Chef’ and of course ‘Best Chef’. There will be a new category, which was proposed by Guy Webber of Stellenzicht for ‘Best Team’ “That prize will be coming from KitchenAid to be exhibited prominently in the winning hotel, as well as something really rewarding and fun for the whole team!” says Annette Kesler, Editor Showcook.com. ‘Grape to Glass’ Experience (April/May): All the participating hotels in Cape Town, JHB and Durban will attend a valuable one-on-one experienceat the Cape Legends’ exquisite estates with their top winemakers, giving the candidates the background with which to pair their menus with the most suitable wines in their particular estate. In July each hotel will showcase their candidates’ 2014 menu with their wine partner at a splendid evening open to the public. Ticket price will include R25 for StreetSmart SA, which we are delighted to partner with.Inspirational and practical prizes for the winners include a brilliant opportunity with a working three week visit to The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai with the TAJ group, and to whom we extend our heartfelt thanks, with return flights provided by Cape Legends. Generous bursaries (in excess of R35 000) by the Cape Wine Academy for our four winning Candidate Wine Stewards. This is a magnificent opportunity to give them a leg up in their chosen career.Tsogo Sun will be providing a working stint for the winning Wine Steward who will travel to JHB, Cape Town and Durban and spend two to three days at each of these properties being mentored into the world of wine under their top sommeliers. Newmark Hotels are generously donating R15 000, ‘The Newmark Award’ to be shared equally between the winning candidates. Andrew Rogers CEO Hospitality Property Fundis donating R15 000 towards a bursary for the ‘Most Promising Candidate Chef’.The finest iconic KitchenAid mixer will be awarded to the winning Candidate Chef and exciting KitchenAid appliances to second and third. In addition hampers of indispensible culinary KitchenAid accessories will be awarded to all the participants of the Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge; Candidate Chefs, their Assistants and Candidate Wine Stewards. Superb prizes will be presented from AL&CD Ashley including Scanpan Knives and for the ‘Most Promising Candidate Chef’ Maitre D’ Stainless Steel Copper Pots. Lindt & Sprüngli (SA) is offering two fabulous Master Classes for the successful Candidate Chefs and Struik Lifestyle will be presenting indispensable books. Higgo Jacobs will be presenting a complimentary 12 months Wine Advisor membership to the South African Sommelier Association for the wine steward candidate who shows promise during the challenge and who will benefit from further guidance and tutoring, with the aim of becoming a Professional SASA member in due course. Click HERE to download the regional challenge schedule and entry details. Follow the Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge 2014 on Twitter Twitter Hash Tag: #CapeLegendsIHC and #CapeLegends.