South Africa, Cape Town; After 11 successful years of training bright young chefs in Cape Town, the South African Chefs Academy is set to open the doors to a new branch in Johannesburg. Owner and renowned chef Paul Hartmann started the academy in 2004 with 21 full-time students and five staff members. Since that time over 750 chefs have been trained to work in top restaurants and food establishments all over the country and abroad.
January 2015 will see the newly renovated premises opening in Norwood, Johannesburg. The team of SA Chefs Academy will now grow to 20 staff members. All teaching staff at both centres are qualified chefs and have worked at the top level of industry, thereby being able to deliver relevant skills to students. “We will be employing lecturers of the calibre required to meet the standards we have set over the past 11 years,” Hartmann enthuses, thereby continuing the Academy’s motto For Chefs, By Chefs, referring to its lecturers who are chefs with intensive industry experience.
Courses are all accredited and externally verified, so graduates from the South African Chefs Academy are formally recognised the world over. Says Hartmann, “We offer the most practically intensive course in South Africa and have a reputation for this process that graduates young chefs with real ability and confidence to work in the professional kitchens.” And it’s this philosophy that will now spread to Johannesburg, after growing demand identified the need for an additional Gauteng branch. After a year of strategic planning, by opening this much-anticipated campus, Hartmann adds “it will allow us to reach a wider audience of people all wanting a professional cookery qualification based on practical, hands-on learning.”
And the centre will be in excellent hands with Allison Smith as manager in conjunction with Paul Hartmann and support from the Cape Town team. Smith worked at the South African Chefs Association for 20 years, and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the SA Chefs Academy team. Her main aim will be to ensure that the courses presented in Johannesburg are relevant and of the same standard as those presented in Cape Town.
Food professionals for hotels, restaurants, cruise ships as well as food product developers and food stylists have all graduated from SA Chefs Academy over the years, with many young graduates winning a variety of industry competitions.
The reputation of the SA Chefs Academy has also attracted significant partnerships with leading brands, including Bosch, Patleys, Rialto Foods, Ecolab, Tydstroom, Nulaid, Kerry and Olive Pride.
The SA Chefs Academy incorporates a catering division and offers courses including:
1. Full time Diploma in Culinary Arts and Pastry, accredited by City and Guilds International
2. Day Release Courses (Aimed at industry chefs that wish to gain a formal qualification)
• Certificate in Food Preparation and Cooking
• Diploma in Food Preparation and Culinary Arts
• Diploma in Pastry
All in all, the South African culinary scene is set to see even more young food stars graduating from this highly respected school, now that its Johannesburg campus opens in 2015.
For more information contact the South African Chefs Academy on (27) (21) 447 3168 or visitwww.sachefsacademy.com Follow the organisation on Twitter (@SAChefs) or find it on Facebook.