Henrico Grobbelaar, Executive Chef at Southern Sun The Cullinan in Cape Town has been awarded the Unilever Food Solutions Senior Chef of the Year 2016 at the final competition cook off which took place in Durban last week. Started over 40 years ago, the UFS Chef of the Year is one of the oldest culinary competitions in the country and is a key event on the culinary calendar.
“It is an honour to be chosen as the winner of this prestigious competition, particularly as this year’s inclusion of the mystery pantry as well as the addition of the energy efficiency and sustainability mark raised the standard of the competition even further. I have been privileged to win a number of competitions and awards throughout my career but this was the cherry on the cake for me as it is one of the awards that I have been striving to win for some time,” says Grobbelaar.
Grobbelaar is one of South Africa’s most creative and celebrated young chefs with a long list of accolades and an enviable resume, which includes: Sunday Times Chef of the Year 2009; San Pellegrino International Young Chef of the World 2009; Executive Chef to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland 2010; 2010 FIFA World Cup; Winner of Chopped South Africa 2013; and most recently, selection as captain of the National Culinary Olympic Team who will represent South Africa in the IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany in October 2016.
His rise to ‘fame’ hasn’t been meteoric. It has been steady and consistent. After more than a decade in the industry, Henrico joined Tsogo Sun’s Southern Sun The Cullinan hotel in February this year as the Executive Chef. This luxurious, iconic hotel is no stranger to awards and accolades, which made this partnership a perfect fit.
“We are extremely proud of Henrico and his achievements. This award once again reflects his enormous level of commitment and effort to succeed. His cuisine is innovative and exciting as is evident in his ability to elevate classic dishes to mouth-watering new heights,” concludes Garry Reed, General Manager at Southern Sun The Cullinan.
