Food & Drink Awards 2023 | 43 Established in 1997 with Dame Prue Leith as patron, the Prue Leith Culinary Institute was created to respond to the need for homegrown African culinary excellence. It provides young and old food enthusiasts with culinary training, taking on students from all over the world but especially the African continent. To qualify for a place in its kitchens, applicants must primarily demonstrate that food is truly the love of their life. Best African Culinary Education Provider 2023 Over the years, the Prue Leith Culinary Institute has built a proven track record of delivering culinary excellence. Its alumni include Chantel Dartnall (Best Female Chef in the World 2017 and Eat Out Chef of the Year 2009 and 2014), Anna Trapido (food writer and broadcaster, author of ‘Hunger for Freedom: The Story of Food in the Life of Nelson Mandela’, and Eat Out Judge 2022), and the late Lesego Semenya (author of ‘Dijo, My Food, My Journey’, Top Chef Judge, and celebrity chef). Impressively, for the last five years, the Eat Out Top 20 restaurant list has featured at least four alumni from the Prue Leith Culinary Institute. Recently, the Prue Leith Culinary Institute has partnered with Anna Trapido to update its New African curriculum, as part of which it teaches young chefs about the fascinating flavours and traditional recipes of Africa and how to elevate them for service in a fine dining or high-end restaurant setting. This strong passion for its continent truly sets the institute apart from the rest. Internally, the Prue Leith Culinary Institute is equipped with a wellestablished, diverse team of passionate and food-obsessed individuals who work to instil the same enthusiasm in each of their students. Many of the chef lecturers are alumni themselves and are therefore highly invested in the work they do, driven to transform their students into the best chefs. Moreover, the Prue Leith Culinary Institute’s excellent management team have close to 100 years of combined local and international experience in hospitality, catering, and culinary education. However, they still pride themselves on their youthful and innovative spirit, which motivates them to drive the institute to reach its goals. The company’s patron, Dame Prue Leith, is South African born but a prominent figure in the UK’s food industry. She plays a key role in the institute’s decisionmaking processes and visits regularly to assess the quality of its curriculum, food, and service. For its continued excellence in the delivery of outstanding culinary education, the Prue Leith Culinary Institute has been awarded Best African Culinary Education Provider in the Food and Drink Awards 2023. Going forward, the institute plans to take its passion for African cuisine online and turn its new African curriculum into modularised classes taught by some of the continent’s best chefs. It also has a few exciting upcoming consulting projects, which will enable it to train even more food-lovers across Africa. Lastly, at the end of January 2024, the institute looks forward to taking part in the Young Chefs Olympiad in India. Contact: Adele Stiehler van der Westhuizen Web Address: www.prueleith.co.za he Prue Leith Culinary Institute offers a holistic range of full time, part time, short, and specialist courses that are designed to produce well-rounded chefs. After completing one of these courses, attendees will not only have a strong foundation of culinary skills but also the ability to manage hospitality operations, making them highly sought-after in the industry. The Prue Leith Culinary Institute is also proud to be a partner of ALMA La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana, the preeminent culinary training academy in Italy. This enables it to offer a joint programme in which students first learn the foundations of the kitchen in South Africa, then move to Italy to specialise in Italian cuisine. Furthermore, a key part of the Prue Leith Culinary Institute’s winning recipe is its onsite fine dining restaurant, which boasts seasonal menus that celebrate local South African flavours. Its dishes are crafted using classic kitchen techniques by students completing their first workplace experience. Since its inception, the Prue Leith Culinary Institute has always had a strong focus on high standards and quality, with its primary purpose being the creation of excellent executive chefs. However, the company must work to stay ahead of its competitors by incorporating emerging industry trends into its training programmes and hosting international chefs like Antonio Bachour and Michel Willaume to deliver educational demonstrations. T • Oct23342
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