Henrico Grobbelaar wins Unilever Food Solutions Senior Chef of the Year 2016

Henrico Grobbelaar, Executive Chef at Southern Sun The Cullinan in Cape Town has been awarded the Unilever Food Solutions Senior Chef of the Year 2016 at the final competition cook off which took place in Durban last week. Started over 40 years ago, the UFS Chef of the Year is one of the oldest culinary competitions in the country and is a key event on the culinary calendar.

“It is an honour to be chosen as the winner of this prestigious competition, particularly as this year’s inclusion of the mystery pantry as well as the addition of the energy efficiency and sustainability mark raised the standard of the competition even further. I have been privileged to win a number of competitions and awards throughout my career but this was the cherry on the cake for me as it is one of the awards that I have been striving to win for some time,” says Grobbelaar.

Grobbelaar is one of South Africa’s most creative and celebrated young chefs with a long list of accolades and an enviable resume, which includes: Sunday Times Chef of the Year 2009; San Pellegrino International Young Chef of the World 2009; Executive Chef to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland 2010; 2010 FIFA World Cup; Winner of Chopped South Africa 2013; and most recently, selection as captain of the National Culinary Olympic Team who will represent South Africa in the IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany in October 2016.

His rise to ‘fame’ hasn’t been meteoric. It has been steady and consistent. After more than a decade in the industry, Henrico joined Tsogo Sun’s Southern Sun The Cullinan hotel in February this year as the Executive Chef. This luxurious, iconic hotel is no stranger to awards and accolades, which made this partnership a perfect fit.

“We are extremely proud of Henrico and his achievements. This award once again reflects his enormous level of commitment and effort to succeed. His cuisine is innovative and exciting as is evident in his ability to elevate classic dishes to mouth-watering new heights,” concludes Garry Reed, General Manager at Southern Sun The Cullinan.

About Tsogo Sun

Tsogo Sun is the leading hotels, gaming and entertainment company in South Africa, providing a variety of hospitality and exciting entertainment and leisure experiences. Combining an established heritage with a professional and energised approach, the group proudly encompasses 14 casinos and over 90 hotels in South Africa, Africa, the Seychelles and Abu Dhabi.

The company’s hospitality interests offer a wide distribution of hotels in Africa, providing world-class accommodation across all markets, including elegant, individually branded luxury hotels and well-known trusted market leaders in the premier through budget segments, including Southern Sun Hotels, Garden Court, SunSquare, StayEasy and SUN1 hotels.

The exciting urban and resort casino portfolio includes the most popular entertainment destinations, strategically located throughout South Africa. In the Gauteng province, Tsogo Sun owns the group’s flagship property, Montecasino in Fourways, which features, amongst other attractions, the award-winning Teatro; Gold Reef City Casino and Theme Park in Southern Johannesburg; and Silverstar Casino to the West in Krugersdorp. Additional properties are owned and operated in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, including the jewel on Durban’s Golden Mile, Suncoast Casino, Hotels and Entertainment.

Tsogo Sun Citizenship is the group’s corporate citizenship strategy which encompasses three areas of focus. This includes Corporate Social Investment, whereby the group promotes the development of learners through three academies which offer holistic, full-year programmes centred around sport, art and education; Entrepreneur Development which focuses on skills-based entrepreneurial development through its Tsogo Sun Book a Guesthouse and Supplier Development programmes; and Environmental Education, committed to initiatives that reduce the impact the business has on the environment.

Tsogo Sun (“TSH”) is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.  The key shareholders of Tsogo Sun are Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited (“HCI”), a JSE listed investment holding company.

Tsogo Sun Gaming supports the National Responsible Gambling Programme. Winners know when to stop.  Only persons over the age of 18 are permitted to gamble. National Problem Gambling counselling toll-free helpline: 0800 006 008.

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