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After an exciting and intense three day cook-off the 2012 Sunday Times Chef of the Year Competition in association with Foodcorp announced South Africa’s four culinary kings. The award ceremony took place on Thursday, 4^th October at a tasteful cocktail evening at Foodcorp Innovation Centre’s, The 7^th Floor in Observatory, Cape Town.  

This year’s winners in each of the four categories were:

Rudi Liebenberg of the Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town who claimed the 2012 Sunday Times Chef of the Year title; Tiaan Langenegger from Overture Restaurant, Stellenbosch was honoured with the Young Chef of the Year title; Nik Tonglet of The Test Kitchen by Luke Dale Roberts, Cape Town was awarded the Junior Chef of the Year title; and Mark Iveson from Gonubie Hotel, East London won the Sunday Times’ Stalwart of the Kitchen award.

“Wow, what an achievement. I really didn’t think I would be awarded Chef of the Year, as it really was one of the toughest and most gruelling days I have spent in the kitchen in a long time. From entering the very first Food Awards in 2006 and to winning Chef of the Year this year I can now hang up my apron. Thank you to Sunday Times and Foodcorp for this awesome opportunity,” said winner Rudi Liebenberg of the Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town.

“The relationship between Foodcorp and the Sunday Times is really one of greatness as such an event like The Chef of the Year is a fantastic opportunity for the food industry. It is especially important for the junior chefs, who really showed impressive skills during this competition, and this is important as they are the chefs of the future,” says Justin Williamson, the CEO of Foodcorp.

Congratulations to the winners within each of the four categories and we would like to thank all the contestants for their hard work, participation and enthusiasm over the competition.  We would also like to encourage all up-and-coming chefs to visit the Chef of the Year Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SundayTimesChefOfTheYear for more information regarding the 2013 competition.

Right : Justin Williamson (CEO Foodcorp), Rudi Liebenberg (Winner Chef of the Year), and Hillary Biller (Editor of Sunday Times Food Weekly)