Spekko’s First Caterer of the Year
The Spekko Rice Caterer of the Year finals event recently took place at the Good Food and Wine Show in Johannesburg. The event saw the top 28 finalists – chosen from thousands of entrants – to compete in a cook-off to win a share in the total Prize Money of R50 000 in cash.
Our hearty congratulations go to the first Spekko Rice Caterer of the Year, Thandeka Khumalo, a 35 year old entrepreneur who runs a small catering and baking business from the living room of her house in Dawn Park, Boksburg.
Thandeka entered the competition with a Spekko spinach rice recipe and, in the final heat, produced a hearty beef stew served with roasted vegetables, Spekko Parboiled Long Grain Rice and a chickpea salad.
What impressed judges Njabula from Sunday Sun and Zenoyise John from Move! Magazine, was how perfect her cooked Spekko Rice looked and tasted. With her prize money Thandeka intends buying new stoves, cake mixers and catering equipment.
The competition launched in February and ended in July this year with the final broadcast of the Spekko Rice sponsored reality television series Kasi Kitchen on Soweto TV. Recipes were published weekly in Move! Magazine and in the Sunday Sun newspaper.
Keinilwe Tlhapi (25) from Carletonville came 2nd in the competition, followed by Wilhelmina Thwala from Soweto. They won R15 000 and R5 000 respectively. Keinilwe runs a tuck shop and take-away from the Bawaneng taxi rank in Carletonville and Wilhelmina has a small catering business in Dobsonville.
The top 6 finalists were: Thandeka Khumalo, Keinilwe Tlhapi, Wilhelmina Thwala, Mpho Charles, Martha Motlhasedi and Notobiso Sitole.
The top 13 finalists each won a Snappy Chef induction stove and all finalists went home with a Spekko Rice hamper and travel bag.
