Top students from various schools around South Africa were invited to spend a day at the ICA and be spoiled with a three course wine paring dinner at Apprentice Restaurant in Stellenbosch.

The day started at 09:00, the students were welcomed one by one with hot coffee and sweet pastries. 12 Participants were divided up in 4 groups and they had to explore 4 rare ingredients, Truffles, Saffron, Vanilla and Rapadura. Everyone looked like they had tons of fun running around on the campus and solving riddles and puzzles. At 13:00 they had build up an appetite and lunch was served of sweet potato fritters and chicken wraps and to drink home-made apple and vanilla iced tea.

With tummies full and their taste buds satisfied they gathered in the dem area for a demonstration on recipes with the four ingredients they explored. At 17:15 the chef lecturers and students made their way down to Andringa Street, Stellenbosch where the teachers joined them for a three course wine paired dinner at Apprentice restaurant.

After dinner we said our farewell’s but the ICA hopes to see you soon again. 

We are looking forward to the next Top Achievers!

16 Pupils, accompanied with teachers from their high school situated in Rustenburg, made a visit at the ICA during the long school holidays. They arrived per bus at the campus and were each welcomed with a small goodie bag with home-made salt water taffy sweets. They were shown how to make these sweets themselves and then it was time to learn how to de-bone a chicken. Everyone had a lite bite to eat and soon after the visit over. We hope to see you again Grenswag High School!

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Her story in her own words….

“I am a proudly ICA graduate, class of 2003, it seems like a lifetime ago but I remember it like it was yesterday…..the kitchen smell early in the morning with all the bright young chef minds eagerly waiting to learn what our lecturers had to teach.  After my final examination in January 2005 I spent a year studying french before I set off to London.

From end 2005 to end 2007 I worked at the Royal Bank of Scotland under their group property manager in one of the head office buildings where I came to help run the three receptions areas.  I wanted to experience more on the business side as I was planning to open my own business one day.

At the end of 2007 I returned to South Africa where I ended up as a Operational Manager for African Encounter in Cape Town.  By mid 2009 I started to itch to get back in the kitchen, I missed it so much.  I began working on opening my own chocolaterie in Stellenbosch, I set to work starting with recipes and a product list and soon it took flame.  I recently opened my chocolaterie and pâtisserie and it is growing by the day…. I have a great team and now I have the time to help teach the chefs of the future and loving it everyday!”

Charcuterie (The word is taken from the French chair cuite, meaning the cooking of meats, and generally refers to prepared and preserved meats. Sausages, ham, pâtés, and other cooked or processed meat foods. A delicatessen specializing in such foods)

Neil Jewell, chef and owner of the Bread and Wine Restaurant in Franschhoek, showed the ICA 2nd years (of the 3 year ICA Higher Diploma programme) a glimpse of his great talent for charcuterie, starting by dividing and cleaning hte carcass in the different sections and showing what each of these sections are used for.  Neil provided the students with many of the important facets to charcuterie with flair and passion he has for this subject.

The students made saucisson with Neil and had the great privilege to see his curing fridge and have a taste of a few products, one of which was a 4 year 4 month matured parma ham made with organic pork.

Neil walked them round to the back of the kitchen to show htem his cold smoker where he exlained the wonders of his genius delicious meats and even cold-smoked flour for pizza dough, yum!

Thank you Neil, your work is our insipiration!