Peter Robertson, the Executive Head Chef for Events, Conferences and Sports at Sun City, has embraced the opportunity to devise and demonstrate recipes for the international meal packing challenge, Follow the Sun. The international challenge, to commemorate International Mandela Day this month, is organised by Stop Hunger Now and Sun International and aims to pack 10-million meals for vulnerable people.
Robertson has developed three recipes using the basic ingredients that will be included in the meal packages, spruced with easily accessible vegetables, to demonstrate the possibilities for creating nutritious yet easy-to-make meals. The recipes will be included in the meal packages.
“Basic or budget meals do not have to be tasteless or nutritionally sparse. We want to show people how even the most simple ingredients, such as those in the meal packages, can be used to prepare flavorful nutritious meals. We hope to inspire and empower the recipients to get cooking and make the most out of the ingredients in the packs. The recipes are easy to follow, use basic methods and utensils, and incorporate fresh produce which the recipients will be familiar with – and able to grow for themselves – such as potatoes, tomatoes and spinach,” says Robertson.
Robertson, who spent many hours alongside his chef grandfather, helping to chop vegetables, is excited about his involvement in Follow the Sun meal packing challenge.
“It is heartening to touch lives through projects like Follow the Sun which goes beyond distributing food, to empowering people with knowledge and skills to get more nutritional value out of the foodstuffs they have available to them,” says Robertson.
Before joining Sun City three years ago, Robertson was the Executive Chef at the Cape Town International Convention Centre which was ranked 20th out of the world’s top 100 convention centres during his nine years there. Before that, he has enjoyed an exciting and diverse career working in some of South Africa’s finest hotels and restaurants, and cooking for celebrities and high profile people – from Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama to the Springbok Rugby team.
He has always been passionate about teaching healthy meal preparation and promoting healthy eating habits, especially amongst disadvantaged groups. While working in Cape Town, during his tenure as Chairman of the South African Chefs Academy, he was intensively involved in programmes to impart cookery skills. He taught disabled youngsters at the Mitchell’s Plain School of Skills how to cook, allowing them to find work and ultimately be absorbed into the kitchens of some of the Cape’s well known hotels. He also supported apprenticeship for young people from disadvantaged areas who were interested in pursuing careers in the culinary field, and was involved with the World Chefs Tour Against Hunger, amongst various initiatives
Robertson will be amongst the volunteers at the Follow the Sun meal packing challenge on 20 July 2016 at Sun City where the world results will also be announced. Sun International employees, representatives from caring businesses, government representatives and other likeminded stakeholders are called to come together and roll up their sleeves to pack nutritious meals for vulnerable children.
Volunteers can lend a helping hand by assisting with packing dried goods such as Soya, Rice, 23 Vitamins and Minerals and a Soup Mix to be delivered to hungry children around South Africa. Each volunteer will spend 67 minutes commemorating Nelson Mandela by packing products into meal boxes, which will ultimately feed a child one meal a day for an entire year. The significance of 67 minutes refers to every year of Nelson Mandela’s life spent in public service, between 1942 and 2009 when the Nelson Mandela Foundation first introduced Mandela Day.
All meals packed at Sun City with the help of local businesses and caring volunteers will be distributed by Stop Hunger Now South Africa to local charities in the North West Province.
Follow the Sun by visiting the Stop Hunger Now website and filling in the registration form: http://www.stophungernow.org/south-africas-million-meal-challenge-for-mandela-day/. For more information please contact events@stophungernowsa.organd visit http://www.stophungernowsa.org.
