- Foodies were blown away by the duo’s plant-based dishes at the annual industry trade show
- “It’s the same with music,” cooed one of the two about the energy that goes into a recipe
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Cape Town, a city renowned for its culinary diversity, recently experienced a unique gastronomic treat as two exceptional chefs from Botswana’s Great Plains Conservation camps showcased their culinary skills.
Chefs Baby Kegakilwe and Harold Gaosikelwe brought their vibrant flavours to a delighted audience at the renowned annual industry trade show, “We are Africa,” in Cape Town, South Africa recently.
Great Plains Conservation’s artistry in culinary skills forms part of their gastronomy product offering, a unique product positioning that has resulted in the conservation and tourism company’s affiliation to Relais & Chateaux that provides a platform for culinary showcasing at its best through its unique collection of properties across the globe.
Chef Baby
Chef Baby’s illustrious career in the culinary world was shaped by her lifelong love for everything related to the kitchen. From a young age, she was mesmerised by the aromas and flavours that filled her family’s home, spending countless hours cooking with her mother.
Driven by a desire to create and experiment, she pursued formal culinary training at the Institute of Hotel Tourism Management in 2003. Fast-forward to today, she is the Executive Chef at a top class premium, Relais & Châteaux, Camp Zarafa in Botswana.
In Cape Town, Chef Baby presented plant-based dishes that embodied the essence of her love for the culinary arts.
Said she in an interview: “As a team, we had the endurance to plan and prepare from scratch all seven different canapes and present unique plant-based canapés for 2060 people.
“The reception was amazing because we were the only team using all plant-based ingredients. It called at lot of attention to us at the trade show.
“Lessons learnt from Cape Town are to make the best out of the local ingredients we have because we are currently faced with a vegetable ban. I now know how to modify what we have and create world-class cuisines for our guests.”
Chef Harold
Chef Harold’s culinary journey began at the age of 12 when he made the life-changing decision to become a vegetarian.
Faced with his mother’s refusal to accommodate his new dietary preference, Chef Harold took matters into his own hands and embarked on a self-taught culinary adventure. “I showcased my culinary skills in Cape Town, serving about 2000 hungry guests,” he cooed.
“The Relais & Chateaux event featured seven different restaurants around South Africa, and I was offering three sweet and three savory items as I battled it out for the top honours – serving up a delicious vegan, gluten and lactose-free canapes.”
Commenting on the lessons learnt from the experience, he added: “By working in different kitchens, whether under renowned chefs or in diverse culinary settings, offers exposure to various cooking styles, techniques, and cuisines.
“This broadens a chef’s culinary repertoire and deepens their understanding of global food cultures and trends. There’s cooking, and then there’s cooking with passion, creativity, and love.
“I firmly believe that the energy you put into a recipe is just as important as the ingredients you use. If you are a chef, no matter how good you are, it’s not good cooking for yourself; the joy is in cooking for others. It’s the same with music.”
Culinary exchange
Great Plains Conservation is known for its luxury product offering and has the highest number of properties in Southern Africa through its portfolio, with three already in Botswana, namely Selinda Camp, Zarafa and Duba Plains Camp.
Their chefs’ showcase not only put Botswana flavours on the map but also paved the way for greater culinary exchanges with other chefs in their camps.