It’s been an over a year since N1 began its dynamic partnership with the South African Chefs Association (SACA). Between the more than 20 years’ experience N1 has as the leading wholesale supplier of Halaal and Non-Halaal meat and other food products to the hotel, restaurant and hospitality industries; and the 40 years’ experience SACA has as the leading authority on all things culinary in South Africa – it has been, and continues to be, a match made in culinary heaven.

As an official Culinary Partner of SACA, N1 supplies meat and meat products to the prestigious South African National Culinary Team – also known as Culinary Team South Africa, who are going for gold in the IKA Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany in 2016. The IKA Culinary Olympics was first held in 1900 and as such is the oldest and most distinguished of all international culinary competitions. South Africa first competed in 1980 and that year brought home five gold medals and won fourth place overall in the hot kitchen competition. Since then silver and bronze medals have followed, with another gold medal won at the 2008 event.

Culinary Team South Africa – our Olympians of the food world – attend regular practice sessions to determine their hot kitchen menus and to ensure that their dishes are executed with world-class excellence. At the Olympics they will have five-and-a-half hours to prepare their three-course menus to serve 110 people. Led by the renowned Chef Heinz Brunner, the team consists of eight members along with three highly esteemed advisors. In an effort to learn more about this prestigious group as they prepare for the Olympics, we will begin another regular feature here at N1 – ‘SA Olympians of the Food World’. Following a Q&A format, each team member will have a chance to share more about themselves – their background and qualifications; what first inspired them to join the culinary world; role models that may have meant a great deal to them; and what it entails ‘going for gold in 2016’.

A match made in culinary heaven, N1 and SACA continue to look forward to supporting and celebrating the culinary arts industry of South Africa.