Issued
by FIVESTAR PR On behalf of RED CARNATION HOTEL COLLECTION SOUTH AFRICA
Following two inspiring events in 2013
and 2014, The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, part of the family-run Red Carnation Hotel Collection, is delighted to once again
participate in the third Cape Legends Inter Hotel
Challenge.
Executive Chef Christo Pretorius and Head Sommelier Gregory Mutambe have
selected this year’s most promising young chef and wine steward to compete
amongst South Africa’s crème de la crème of properties.
Brainchild of Showcook team Annette
Kesler and Chania Morritt-Smith, the Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge
promotes mentorship, staff upliftment and much needed skills transfer within
the South African hotel and tourism industry. Says Annette Kesler: ‘This
initiative goes beyond the competitive and has become a unifying spirit and
collaborative force in the hotel industry, reaching out and encompassing the
broad and important role of development and advancement.’
This year three hotels in Port
Elizabeth are set to participate for the first time, with a total of 25 hotels
on board, including 15 of the Western Cape’s top hotels, as well as four
properties in Johannesburg and three in Durban. The winners will be rewarded
with a range of fantastic bursaries and vital exposure as a head start to their
career including a three week working stage at the Shangri-La Dubai with return
flights by Cape Legends
The Cape Legends Inter Hotel Challenge
is in line with Red Carnation Hotel Collection’s philosophy of highlighting a
culture of mentorship, recognising and rewarding achievements, promoting from
within and ensuring genuine career progression and a happy, fulfilled work life
for its staff.
Owned by the Tollman family, the Red
Carnation Hotel Collection includes four- and five-star properties in South
Africa, Europe and the USA. The collection is renowned for placing its
employees at the heart of its operations, and for hiring talented individuals
from all walks of life who are presented with the best available training and
development opportunities. Staff members are encouraged to move within
properties and often remain part of the Red Carnation family for many years.
The group was recently listed in the UK Sunday Times ‘Top 100 Companies to Work For’
in 2nd place - a
tremendous achievement, especially considering that the group entered the list
only three years ago at number 71.
As part of the Cape Legends Inter
Hotel Challenge, Executive Chefs and Sommeliers introduced their 2015 chef and
wine steward candidates to industry and press recently at dinners held in Port
Elizabeth, Johannesburg and Cape Town. This will be followed by a special
‘Grape to Glass Experience & Workshop’ for all wine steward candidates in
May, taking place in Cape Town in association with the prestigious Cape Wine
Academy and enabling them to meet with the winemakers at each of the wine
estates that they are paired with. An Indian Ocean Skills Exchange Development
Programme will be introduced to the Durban and Port Elizabeth Candidates in
Durban at the Unilever Kitchens with guest chefs from the One&Only Saint
Geran (Mauritius), Maia (Seychelles) and Southern Sun Elangeni Maharani (KZN).
Individual cook-offs for candidate chefs and wine stewards in Cape Town,Durban and Johannesburg are scheduled for
June, followed by the Finals at the South African Chefs Academy in Cape Town in
July. The winners will be announced during an exclusive
black tie Gala Awards Dinner to be held at the Cape Sun on Friday 14
August 2015.
THE TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL AND SPA
CANDIDATES
The Twelve Apostles Hotel looks
forward to showcasing the talents of its candidates to an illustrious audience.
The hotel’s two candidate staff members have both come from humble backgrounds
and share talent, passion, drive and determination to make their mark in the
hospitality industry.
Tanzwell Nair – Chef Candidate
Tanzwell ‘Taz’ Nair was set for a
career in the film industry before convincing his father that cooking was
really all he ever wanted to do. He was first hired by The Twelve Apostles
Hotel and Spa in April 2013 as Trainee-Commis Chef. Having noticed his
considerable talent and passion for food, Executive Chef Christo Pretorius
promoted Taz to Demi Chef de Partie a year later. While working his way up the
career ladder at The Twelve Apostles, Taz honed his skills at the Capsicum
Culinary Studio in Salt River, successfully graduating with a diploma in Food
Preparation and Cooking in March 2015. Taz is thrilled to be a part of the
prestigious competition, and is ready to put his all into it. Aiming to become
the best he can possibly be, he dreams of one day owning his own
restaurant.
Richard Gosa – Wine Steward Candidate
Richard Gosa hails from the Eastern
Cape but relocated to the Western Cape in 2001, to obtain a job as Head
Bartender and Wine Steward at Grootbos Nature Reserve in Hermanus – a position
he held for eight years. While at Grootbos he further honed his skills by
completing a Preliminary Wine Course at the Cape Wine Academy in 2005. This was
followed by experience gained working at Delaire Graff Wine Estate, Longridge
Restaurant, the Protea President Hotel, and Aubergine Restaurant (Cape Town),
where Richard was appointed as Junior Sommelier. Looking for a new challenge,
he joined The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa as Commis Sommelier in February
2015. Mentored by Head Sommelier Gregory Mutambe, Richard will soon start
studying for his Cape Wine Master qualification at the Cape Wine Academy.
About Red Carnation Hotels
Red Carnation Hotels is an
award-winning collection of five and four star family-run boutique hotels in
London, Dorset, Guernsey, Geneva, Florida and South Africa. Each property has
its own individual character and unique location that reflects the local
environment, culture and cuisine. They all share the qualities that win Red
Carnation so many prestigious awards – splendid luxury, generous hospitality,
inventive and traditional cuisine, private art collections, passionate service
and loyal staff committed to creating richly rewarding experiences for all
their guests. For more information about these award-winning hotels and the
rest of the Red Carnation Collection, please go to www.redcarnationhotels.com
