A YOUNG chef has taken first prize in the South African Cuisine Young Chef of the Year competition – a trip to South Africa to train at one of the country’s leading restaurants.

The nationwide competition was launched to inspire chefs studying and working in the UK to learn about South African fruit and take inspiration from South African cooking and traditional dishes.

Jordon Powell, 18, from Horsham wowed the judges with his South African menu of:

- Biltong, fresh venison tartar and Excellence peaches

- Barracuda and spiced chakalaka, confit potato, Granny Smith apple and burnt, roasted and malted onion

- African Pride plums with black treacle, tonka bean and cardamom

He said: “Before the competition began I was very nervous, but the nerves went away once I got into the kitchen and started cooking.

“Luckily everything went to plan and I was very happy with how my dishes went out to the judges.

“Overall it was a very emotional day, but so worth all the work.

“I’m excited to continue learning about the cuisine in South Africa.”

Jordon studied at Westminster College in London and is now working for renowned chef Alyn Williams at The Westbury in Mayfair.

He competed against eight other UK finalists, who were under the age of 25, either studying or already working in the food industry. Each entrant submitted their own South African menu, which incorporated a selection of plums, peaches, nectarines, apples and pears.

The competition aims to raise awareness of the use of South African fruit as chefs’ ingredients, and also highlight the part fruit farming has played in the development of South Africa and its rural communities in the past 20 years.