Two hundred and fifty international chefs from 44 countries touched down in SA, at the end of August, to embark on an unforgettable 10-day culinary journey as part of the Bidvest World Chefs Tour Against Hunger.
This year’s Tour, the third of its kind, is being arranged by the South African Chefs Association (SACA) and the Academy of Chefs, under the auspices of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS). The tour’s patron is Dr Bill Gallagher, founder of the original event in 1993, and its convenor is Martin Kobald, former SACA president.
‘In the context of the worldwide recession and credit crunch, many charities and good causes across the country aren’t able to continue their good work because there simply isn’t enough money to go around,’ said Gallagher. ‘Our objective, through Bidvest’s support and the fundraising initiatives of the tour, is to ensure that we can sustainably feed children over the next five years.’
Bidvest has donated R5 million to the cause, and the other primary sponsor, Southern Sun, is providing all the accommodation for the 250 visiting chefs.
Brian Joffe, chief executive of the Bidvest group, said that hunger in SA is a challenge crying out for urgent action. ‘The problem is huge, but even the smallest contribution makes a difference if enough of us work together. We won’t solve the problem of hunger on our own, but by bringing more and more like-minded people together we can make a start.’
The proceeds raised through the tour will not be distributed in the form of monetary donations to charities but will be used to develop feeding schemes for the beneficiary charities and to buy the food needed to sustain those feeding plans for as long as possible.
Phindile Hlalele from one of the beneficiaries ACFS said, ‘The tour will address one of the biggest challenges faced by South Africans every day. Hunger is affecting the growth of our children, their health and even their learning ability.’
‘We are expecting the Bidvest World Chefs Tour Against Hunger to be the biggest fundraising event yet undertaken within the global chefs’ fraternity. You can too,’ concludes Gallagher. To find out more, visit www.worldchefstour.com for full details.
