ICA ALUMNI SECURES MAJOR BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR SA
It’s one thing being named the best restaurant in the country … it’s quite another to share the global stage amongst the VERY BEST IN THE WORLD!
Last night, no less than 3 South African restaurants were awarded among 100 of the World’s Best Restaurants in London, UK. Considering that there are roughly 45 000 restaurants in a culinary capital city such as Paris alone, and an estimated 15 million restaurants altogether in the world, South Africa – and in particular the Western Cape – was extremely well represented at the 2022 S. Pellegrino Aqua Panna World’s Best Restaurants Awards – the MOST prestigious and esteemed awards ceremony in the culinary arena! It’s an achievement that the whole country can be extremely proud of!
All current and past ICA students, all staff, and directors are carrying especially proud smiles today as we celebrate yet more outstanding achievements of ICA alumni.
TOP 50 BEST RESTAURANTS IN THE WORLD
NUMBER 37
NUMBER 90
NUMBER 56
Although not at the head of the kitchen at this top restaurant, La Colombe (like Wolfgat and FYN) is also one of the ICA’s preferred industry partners for student placements where first- and second-year chef students gain invaluable experiential training from carefully selected chef mentors. Currently working as Senior CDP at La Colombe is ICA Graduate Rhys Chester (Class of 2019), who coincidentally completed his first industry placement at La Colombe, followed by his second-year placement at FYN, and ended up being employed at La Colombe on a permanent basis where he now forms part of the brigade that trains current ICA students. A fine example of continued mentorship outside and beyond the ICA classroom kitchens.
It cannot be emphasized enough how proud we are of the alumni mentioned above.
Just under 30 years ago, ICA principal and founder, Letitia Prinsloo, set out to create an exclusive culinary school with the aim to train world-class chefs in South Africa, that would be able to compete on an international level. As more and more ICA-trained chefs have been recently recognized internationally amongst the cream of the culinary crop, her vision comes to fruition.
Together with the entire culinary community who have worked so incredibly hard to get here, we celebrate South African chefs shining on the international stage.
We celebrate the international recognition of South African talent.
And we celebrate all former and future ICA chef students who are committed to the excellence of culinary arts.
FROM THE ICA ARCHIVES
Peter Tempelhoff is pictured here as one of the ICA’s first intake of chefs students (original article from Eikestadnuus, Friday 9 February 1996). Peter opens a bottle of sparkling wine in the traditional sabrage method, celebrating the school’s inception. This is a telling picture of many more achievements worth celebrating!
Below, chef Peter is signing the Graduation register, ready to spread his wings and enter the culinary world as a qualified, ICA-trained professional chef.
ICA Directors, Letitia and Kobus Prinsloo, during a visit to chef Kobus van der Merwe’s acclaimed restaurant, Wolfgat, in Paternoster, shortly after it was named Best International Restaurant and Best Off-Map Destination by yet another awards body (World Culinary Awards) in 2019.
With chef Kobus and ICA student Derick Shaw during his industry placement.
