Certainly, no other professional vocation is judged on more platforms and in more ways, than cheffing.
Being a chef means publicly showcasing your talent and creativity to the world. It means an open display of your particular art to critics, judges, influencers, connoisseurs, experts and non-experts in every conceivable form. It means receiving judgement, feedback, assessment and opinions from any and all corners – whether requested, validated, necessary and reasonable or not.
The reason for this most probably stems from the fact that all humans eat. And many humans see the act of dining as something near and dear to them, a time to enjoy the company of others. Thus, many people regard themselves as critics of the food they are presented with. Because they too participate in the act of cooking and eating on a regular basis, they feel entitled to an opinion. Interestingly, this is not the case with other art forms where anyone can appreciate the art, but because many have never participated in making art, the judging and critique are left to those “in the know”.
It is no secret that the world culinary stage is an exciting arena of glitz and glamour, bringing the prospects of potential celebrity status or high-end accolades to a career path consisting of many gratifying, but undoubtedly exhausting hours of perfecting your art in the kitchen.
So, what does it take to be a top calibre culinary judge?
What criteria are considered?
Most importantly, what is the responsibility carried by the judges?
Food critics, judges and reviewers can have a tremendous effect on a chef’s future career. The impact is usually quite immediate and often lasting. It has to be taken very seriously.
Who better to turn to for clarity on this sensitive topic than the international benchmark for restaurant food quality: The Michelin Guide.
To serve on the world’s most esteemed food star rating panel, judges need to have specific qualifications and character traits that will qualify them to voice an educated critique on any type of restaurant – from food trucks to fine dining. Besides possessing the incredibly challenging ability to remain absolutely impartial and unbiased, judges are required to be professionally trained. They need to have a professional background in the restaurant industry of at least 5 to 7 years and preferably have real-world kitchen experience. To judge another chef, a jury member needs to have experienced what it takes to serve a plate of food to a paying customer. They need to be able to prove their attention to detail and show their in-depth understanding and knowledge of culinary skills and techniques. They must also be able to report their findings by means of an impeccable palate for flavours, combinations and textures. Only then may that individual become part of a larger panel of judges who carries the responsibility of bestowing certain honours to certain chefs.
It sounds like a daunting task, to say the least, but it is imperative that the criteria of judges be held in as high a regard as the criteria for the chefs who are being judged. Only this will ensure the quality and credibility of judging platforms.
At the ICA, we have ample experience in culinary judging. ICA founder and principal, Letitia Prinsloo, served as an international judge for the prestigious S. Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants Awards for many years, travelling around South Africa and abroad consistently to add her expertise to the panel’s final decisions. She was also part of the panel of judges from around the world for the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ Young Chefs Competitions for many years, helping to identify talent of global calibre amongst up-and-coming young chefs. Not only do ICA alumni outshine their competitors in the game, but numerous ICA chef-lecturers, as well as former students, have also been entrusted with the judging duties for a multitude of culinary competitions – MasterChef SA; Kokkedoor, Koekedoor, Kokkedoortjie, Skole Kook, Ultimate Braai Master, Eat Out Restaurant Awards, Galliova Food Writers Awards, numerous corporate competitions, etc.
Including professionally trained chefs in a judging panel brings a dynamic to the table that ensures the quality and credibility of any given merit-based event. Although not trained to be food judges, ICA graduates possess the skills and knowledge to appreciate delicate flavour profiles, recognise exceptional knife skills, understand culinary principles and techniques, are knowledgeable about the science of food, have a keen eye for detail and are trained to carefully evaluate components both individually and as part of a whole. Whether they are the ones judging, or the ones being judged, ICA-trained chefs understand what it takes.
When students enrol at the ICA, they start their journey at the very beginning of culinary arts. Students are taught intensive, classical French fundamentals of cooking and pâtisserie. Add to this comprehensive theoretical knowledge and application and the stage is set for science and art to culminate into a beautifully creative expression of food – the limits of which are only as far and as wide as the mind allows.
If you are dreaming of entering the ever-evolving, exciting, rewarding and wonderfully diverse world of culinary arts, learning from the best is a good start. Explore the influence ICA-trained chefs have on the South African and global food scene, discover how our alumni are setting the benchmarks for others to follow and apply now to study at South Africa’s most highly awarded chef school.
