OOI (ONLY ONE INGREDIENT)

OOI (Only One Ingredient) embodies Studio H’s approach to event dining. A conceptual food offering, focused on one ingredient or theme, that is designed by our team and executed by our chefs — for events of any size or scale.

Event posters and concept: Hoick

FOOD XX africa

what is food xx?

PLATFORM DEDICATED TO WOMEN IN FOOD

FOOD XX was founded in 2018 by Studio H, a women-led business in food. It is a movement dedicated to empowering and celebrating women in the food and drinks industry, a safe space to build networks, celebrate and support one another, and have much-needed conversations to find collective solutions.

Women, who make up half of the world’s population, have the collective power to affect stock markets, policies, corporate and creative industries, their own lives, and the lives of the network of women around them.


The platform consists of:

  • Biennial Awards for Women in Food and Drink in Africa
  • City Guides – a comprehensive database of women-owned and women-led food businesses
  • FOOD XX Week

How does the FOOD XX Awards work?
Applications are open to the public to nominate women in the food industry via an online nominations form. Once nominations are closed, the finalists are judged by a panel consisting of the previous year’s winners, a group of women, who are tasked with the difficult decision of selecting someone in each category to pass the baton of FOOD XX winner to. 

Who are the finalists?
Category finalists are being announced on the @fxxd_xx Instagram account.

When will the 2024 winners be announced?
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on the 28th of August at Soetmelksvlei, Babylonstoren and also live on our Instagram pages @fxxd_xx and @studio_h_.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

The letter ‘X’ - is a single chromosome that defines our differences, not just biologically but our history and experience too. ‘XX’ is more than a nod to the modern feminist movement. It’s an expression of warmth between female friends, colleagues and even female strangers. It identifies a new type of leader, the female leader, who leads with a nurturing, supportive and loving nature. In contrast to this, the ‘X’ also represents taking a stand: voting, saying no, making your mark. It’s a visual symbol for interception, a meeting place, a convergence of cultures, languages and ideas to form something new. Our ‘XX’ illustrates two entities: the mentor and mentee, friends, sisters, women standing together – hands held in triumph. 

food xx CITY GUIDES

A global guide featuring women-owned and women-led food and drinks businesses, nominated by our community and curated by us. Be a change-maker and help us build the world’s largest database of femme businesses.

submit entries here

BAKER

For all the real bread bakers, pastrychefs and pioneering cake makers

BEHIND THE SCENES

To the unsung pioneers and formidable forces/talents behind some of South Africa’s much-loved food and drink brands

Drinks Entrepreneur

All the shakers and stirrers, winemakers, brewers and spirit creators raising our glasses or the alcohol-free fermenters and soda makers.

Entrepreneur

From agri-preneurs to restaurateurs, this award pays tribute to the passionate and innovative pioneers who are redefining food in the way we grow it, make it, sell it and eat it.

Farming

From food growing to urban gardening.

Food Educator

For the teachers and mentors dedicated to sharing knowledge and encouraging future innovators.

Food Heritage

For the guardians of our rich food culture.

Food Icon

Food is sustenance, food is health, food is culture. This award honours the custodians of all that is food.

KRONE Front of House

Sommeliers, managers, waiters, maître d’s.

SPEKKO Food Photographer

For the creatives framing our food worlds through their lenses.

SPEKKO Food Stylist

This is for the visionaries shaping how we look at food.

Food Writer

Celebrating the bloggers, Instagrammers, journalists and authors we turn to when we’re hungry for food stories.
FUTURE FOOD
The solution-driven visionaries challenging our approach to food in a quest to create a sustainable food future.

Giving Back

Change-makers who are enriching the community through food and drink.

In the Kitchen

Celebrating all women working in kitchens.

Newcomer

For the new talent on the block making waves, the woman to watch this year.

Sustainability

Celebrating those committed to helping us rethink and protect every part of the food chain.

CLEMENGOLD CHEF OF THE YEAR

An outstanding chef who either runs their own establishment or manages a restaurant kitchen.

Megan Hart

BAKER

2024

Megan Hart

BAKER

With HÄRT

2024

This Award honours real bread bakers, pastry chefs and pioneering cake-makers. This year the award goes to the owner of Johannesburg-based vegan bakery, With HÄRT, Megan Wessels.

Judge's comment: Creating traditional macarons or croissants is an accomplishment in itself, but developing vegan versions of this calibre demands extraordinary dedication, skill, and passion. She is truly deserving of recognition for her unwavering commitment to her craft.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Chiara Turilli

BEHIND THE SCENES

2024

Chiara Turilli

BEHIND THE SCENES

Lello's Deli

2024

This award is dedicated to the often unsung pioneers, formidable forces and talents who work tirelessly behind some of South Africa’s much-loved food and drink brands. This year, the BEHIND THE SCENES AWARD goes to Chiara Turilli, co-founder of Lello’s Deli.

Judge's comment: Italian-South Africans have contributed enormously to our country's eating culture over the decades and it’s a legacy that deserves to be celebrated.  Chiara took on the baton from others before her, embodying the Italian spirit of building community. What she creates behind the scenes shows the power of food to bring people together.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Danielle Schoeman

DRINKS

2024

Danielle Schoeman

DRINKS

Doña Distillery

2024

The DRINKS AWARD is for the shakers and stirrers, winemakers, brewers and spirit creators. This award goes to Danielle Schoeman, the founder and distiller at Doña Distillery.

Judge's comment: I have closely followed Danielle's career for many years and hold great admiration for her exceptional business acumen and her commitment to leading a team of mostly women!

Photo: Paris Brummer

Debbie Ayub

EDUCATOR

2024

Debbie Ayub

EDUCATOR

Sense of Taste Culinary School

2024

Who would we be without our teachers and mentors? Next up is the FOOD EDUCATOR AWARD. In this award we’re celebrating a woman who has dedicated herself to sharing knowledge and also giving back. This year, the Food Educator award goes to Debbie Ayub.

Judge's comment: Debbie leads an outstanding culinary school with remarkable skill, excelling as an exceptional educator and a true luminary in her field.

Daniela Gutstadt

ENTREPRENEUR

2024

Daniela Gutstadt

ENTREPRENEUR

Culinary Table

2024

From agri-preneurs to restaurateurs, the ENTREPRENEUR AWARD pays tribute to the passionate and innovative pioneers who are redefining food in the way we grow it, make it, sell it and eat it.

Judge's comment: I am continually amazed by individuals who excel across multiple disciplines, with such exceptional proficiency, all while managing to do it simultaneously with grace and precision.

This year the award goes to Daniela Gutstadt.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Iming Lin

FARMING

2024

Iming Lin

FARMING

Meuse Farm

2024

The FARMING AWARD honours farmers of all varieties, from crop cultivation to livestock management. This year’s worthy winner, according to one of our judges, uses advanced technologies on her farm that work in tandem with the local ecosystem. Her practice serves to protect the food system and she champions biodiversity through the vast selection of seeds and vegetable species that she grows. She is an educator, as well as a farmer, who protects historical crops from dying out, by continuing their cultivation and distribution. She is certainly the go-to for hard-to-find ingredients amongst the chefs of the city.

This year’s award goes to Iming Lin.

Mashau Mabunda

HERITAGE

2024

Mashau Mabunda

HERITAGE

Xigugu Royalty

2024

The next award is dedicated to the guardians preserving, and growing, the provenance of our rich food culture. This year, the FOOD HERITAGE AWARD goes to Mashau Mabunda, founder of Xigugu Royalty.

Judge's comment: This is the best example in South Africa of an authentic, accessible, delicious heritage product brought into the mainstream, usually Eurocentric, retail space.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Ashleigh Frans

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

2024

Ashleigh Frans

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

Widewing Shoots

2024

The Food Photographer award goes to a visual storyteller of our culinary world – for the second time in a row – Ashleigh Frans.

Judges note: Her work makes everything look DELICIOUS, INDULGENT and so so attractive. She makes ugly delicious look polished - her photos are real and wonderful.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Simone Nel

SPEKKO FOOD STYLIST

2024

Simone Nel

SPEKKO FOOD STYLIST

Yellow Papaya

2024

This award celebrates the visionaries who redefine our perspective on the world of food, and the narratives we craft through it. The Spekko Food Stylist Award goes to Simone Nel.

Judge's comment: Simone possesses an extraordinary talent for transforming dishes into exquisite works of edible art. Her rare ability to elevate presentation to a level that surpasses even the taste is truly remarkable.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Khanya Mzongwana

SPEKKO FOOD WRITER

2024

Khanya Mzongwana

SPEKKO FOOD WRITER

Woolworths Taste

2024

The SPEKKO FOOD Writer Award is dedicated to a writer that captures the flavours, stories and soul of South African cuisine. Let’s celebrate the voice who brings our food culture to life - Khanya Mzongwana!

Comments Anna Trapido: Khanya stands out as one of the rare individuals who excels in both food styling and writing. Her work is a testament to a unique blend of wit, depth, and sophistication, consistently delivering content that is not only thought-provoking and insightful but also elegantly stylish.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Katlego Mathobela

KRONE FRONT OF HOUSE

2024

Katlego Mathobela

KRONE FRONT OF HOUSE

Proud Mary Group

2024

The KRONE FRONT OF HOUSE AWARD is dedicated to sommeliers, managers, waiters, maitre d’s and everything in between.

Congratulations to Proud Mary’s Katlego Mathobela!

Judge's comment: Katlego consistently demonstrates a remarkable blend of humility and kindness, coupled with a deep commitment to expanding her expertise and continuously advancing her knowledge.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Roushanna Gray

FUTURE FOOD

2024

Roushanna Gray

FUTURE FOOD

VELD AND SEA

2024

The FUTURE FOOD AWARD is dedicated to solution-driven visionaries who are challenging our approach to food, in a quest to create a better food future for all. The award goes to the founder of Veld and Sea, Roushanna Gray.

And as Chef Jess van Dyk comments: Roushanna's work is a powerful reminder of our ancestral roots, reconnecting us to the fundamental practices of veld-living and traditional food harvesting. In an era dominated by fast consumerism, where culinary traditions risk fading rapidly, her stories serve as a vital bridge to our food heritage and also reminding us of the importance of self-sufficiency and sustainable living.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Nolizwe Sotondoshe

GIVING BACK

2024

Nolizwe Sotondoshe

GIVING BACK

Nande's Kitchen

2024

The GIVING BACK AWARD goes to a woman who is generous at heart and uses food as a vehicle for positive change in her community – Nolizwe Sotondoshe.

Judge's comment: Our winner has devoted her life to the spirit of giving, a commitment that permeates every aspect of her being and actions. Her impactful work within the community serves as a powerful source of inspiration.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Jes Doveton

IN THE KITCHEN

2024

Jes Doveton

IN THE KITCHEN

Acid Wine Bar

2024

This award is about celebrating all the women working in kitchens (big and small) around the country. This year, the IN THE KITCHEN AWARD award, goes to a woman who has built a reputation as Joburg’s Queen of Flavour. Founder and owner of Acid Wine Bar in Parktown North, Jes Doveton.

Judge's comment: What distinguishes our winner is her hands-on leadership; as an owner, she actively works in the kitchen, fully engaging in every aspect of the business, including the most challenging tasks.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Latiefa Behardien

SUSTAINABILITY

2024

Latiefa Behardien

SUSTAINABILITY

Woolworths

2024

The SUSTAINABILITY AWARD, celebrates the modern day steward committed to helping us rethink, and protect, every part of the food chain – from animal welfare to fair labour practices and holistic environmental preservation.

This award recognises an individual for her exceptional efforts in advancing sustainable practices within the food industry, that aim to help regenerate the earth and address climate change, water scarcity and land degradation.

The winner is Latiefa Behardien, the Chief Technical and Sustainability Officer at Woolworths Foods, who, amongst other projects, spearheaded the Farming for the Future campaign.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Abigail Donnelly

LEGACY

2024

Abigail Donnelly

LEGACY

Woolworths, Eat Out

2024

A brand new category of the FOOD XX Awards, this honour is reserved for an individual who has not only dedicated her career to advancing the food industry but has also made it her mission to cultivate and mentor the next generation of talent. The LEGACY AWARD recognises a true trailblazer, whose unwavering commitment to excellence and passion for nurturing new voices has left an indelible mark on the industry. This Award goes to Abigail Donnelly!

Photo: Myburgh du Plessis

Zyda Rylands

TRAILBLAZER

2024

Zyda Rylands

TRAILBLAZER

Woolworths

2024

The FOOD XX TRAILBLAZER award honours an individual who has not only paved the way for other women, but has also emerged as a powerhouse and leader in the business world. This titan and icon embodies exceptional vision, strength, and influence, setting a benchmark for excellence, and inspiring future generations with her groundbreaking achievements – Zyda Rylands, outgoing CEO of Woolworths Foods.

Photo: Jan Ras

Jessica van Dyk

CLEMENGOLD CHEF OF THE YEAR

2024

Jessica van Dyk

CLEMENGOLD CHEF OF THE YEAR

Post & Pepper

2024

The CLEMENGOLD CHEF OF THE YEAR Award is to celebrate the pinnacle of excellence. It goes to a chef who is redefining South African cuisine with her creativity, skill and passion. Let’s celebrate the best of the best who are leading a culinary revolution - Jessica van Dyk!

Judge's comment: In the male-dominated world of professional cheffing, being a female chef-patron is an even bigger feat. Having the guts to open her own restaurant in the heart of Stellenbosch, one of the world's culinary hot spots, says a lot of her pioneering spirit. I am very impressed with her approach to casual fine dining. She also draws on her Northern Cape upbringing, which she combines with international flavours.

Photo: Paris Brummer

Xoliswa Ndoyiya

FOOD ICON

2024

Xoliswa Ndoyiya

FOOD ICON

2024

The FOOD ICON AWARD is dedicated to an all encompassing custodian of all that is food.

This year’s Food Icon award goes to a person whose career in the food industry spans 33 years – as cookbook author, custodian of Xhosa culinary culture and personal chef to Nelson Mandela for 22 years.

The award for her contribution to the food industry in the country, goes to Xoliswa Ndoyiya!

Photo: Paris Brummer

Khanya Mncwabe

Drinks (Alcohol)

2022

Khanya Mncwabe

Drinks (Alcohol)

Matawi Mead

2022

“Great for people, palate and planet” is how Khanya Mncwabe describes her deeply delicious Matawi Mead.  These honey-laden, silky smooth liqueurs and ales are not only a wonderful, waterwise alternative to grape, wheat, rye, potato and sugar cane-based alcohols but also infused with epically ancient Xhosa ‘iqhilika’ and Khoi ‘karri’ fermenting traditions and the unique herbaceous flavour profile of the Cape Floral Kingdom. Exclusive use of recycled or recyclable materials and the establishment of sustainable supply chains have created an empowering business model that recognises, respect and rewards all those involved - which is as it should be for a heritage product that has accompanied Africans through dowries, births, coming of age rituals, weddings and funerals since time immemorial. Of her win Khanya Mncwabe says: “winning the Food XX award is huge. It affirms that we are on the right track and it was truly special to meet and network with formidable women who are innovating in the food space. I anticipate that incredible collaborations will emerge from these interactions.”

Errieda du Toit

Food Icon

2022

Errieda du Toit

Food Icon

2022

Award presented by Spekko Rice

The Food Icon Award is a special award dedicated to an all-encompassing guardian of all that is food.

Errieda as a true custodian for South African food culture. As television content producer for MasterChef SA, Kokkedoor and In die Sop, she plays a major role in the modern revival of heritage food. Her passionate commitment to home cooking also led to ten cookbooks, a long-running radio programme and the popular blog Huiskok.com. Believing that eating is a communal affair and food is best shared, she probes food’s social role and its power to connect us with others and our own selves. Her latest book Share won her a third World Gourmand Cookbook Award. This important work is an ode to a century of community recipes shared by women, and was also voted best in Africa in the heritage category. A mentor to many, Errieda is at her happiest when those under her wings reconnect with their own roots and find their food heroes and creative inspiration on South African soil, rather than looking overseas.

Zandile Finxa

Secret Ingredient

2022

Zandile Finxa

Secret Ingredient

The Sorghum Agenda

2022

Zandi Finxa is a food scientist and recipe developer with a special interest in African ancient grains. They started The Sorghum Agenda in 2019 as a digital series and product innovation space because “I wanted to encourage more people to move beyond the mentality that sorghum is poverty food to be abandoned with urban living and increasing affluence.” They points out that “There are so many reasons why sorghum matters. It is about recognising its sustainability and about being kind to the gut and it is about recording and elevating the voices of Black women as the custodians of indigenous knowledge farming and food preparations systems. It all matters.” Just how much it matters is deliciously apparent on their Instagram account @queen_finxa where classic and contemporary recipes harmonise into fabulous flavour. Whether you want modern malted sorghum brownies or a traditional fermented ting porridge topped with a swirl of xigugu peanut paste, Zandi Finxa has a recipe to suit every palate and persuasion.

Jenny Ward

Food Educator

2022

Jenny Ward

Food Educator

Makers Landing

2022

Award presented by Spekko Rice

Epicurean educator extraordinaire, Chef Jenny Ward is the kitchen manager and culinary programme lead for the V&A Waterfront’s Makers Landing Incubator Programme. Having previously worked at numerous award-winning hot spots (including Cape Town’s Bizerca Bistro and Pazaar in Sydney) she now uses her extensive industry experience to support small food business start-ups as they refine their concepts, develop new products and establish strategies for increased scale and efficiency. Of her work she says: “the work is a reward in itself because it is so satisfying being able to have a positive impact on small food businesses and to be a part of creating depth and strength throughout our industry but I am also very honoured and inspired to have been included in the Food XX list. We seldom acknowledge how tough it is to break the perceptions surrounding what females should be and can do in the food industry so these awards are vital in allowing powerful talent and commitment to shine.”

Parusha Naidoo

Food Heritage

2022

Parusha Naidoo

Food Heritage

2022

Award presented by‍

Parusha Naidoo describes her work as “the creation of food themed images and stories in order to unify people across different cultures and share lesser-known stories and recipes from Africa, Asia and the Global South in general.” Her Afro-Asian, plant based digital cookbook, Least Effort Most Reward, offers insight into the complexities and delicious beauty of identity. While she includes family recipes that reflect her Indian Diaspora heritage, Naidoo makes a point of not focusing entirely on this food culture but rather including information on other communities across the African continent and around the world because “my work seems to resonate with all sorts of people. I resist entrenched and historic cultural divisions because my work is intended to create connections. With this award I can see that there are another layer of links forming within the food landscape.”

Khanya Mzongwana

Food Stylist

2022

Khanya Mzongwana

Food Stylist

Woolworths TASTE

2022

Award presented by Spekko Rice

Khanya Mzongwana is a chef, food stylist, cookbook author, deputy food editor at Taste Magazine and founder of Undignified Food Studio. Such is her culinary skill that everything she touches turns to delicious. She brings an ebullient, innovative beauty, emotional honesty and wit to her food styling. Her work is simultaneously profoundly South African and yet internationally relevant.  Of the Food XX award ceremony she says that “It was just so, so nice to look around and see everyone you most admire, respect and love there in the audience. And more than that, there was an indescribable power and joy in seeing a whole lot of people that I was proud of there with me. To remember how very far we have all come. People like Nabo (Binase) and Zandi (Finxa) - who are my way back sisters - when I think about it, it just blows my mind what a long road we have travelled. It makes me incredibly proud to think of all that bravery and all those times we didn’t stop working even when we really experienced hardships. To see that rewarded means everything and more to me.”

Selassie Atadika

Continental Connections

2022

Selassie Atadika

Continental Connections

Midunu

2022

Ghanaian Selassie Atadika is chef-patronne at Accra-based business Midunu. She explains that her epicurean enterprise takes its name from “an Ewe word - Ewe being one of the 250 languages spoken in Ghana - short for ‘va midunu’, which means ‘come, let's eat.’ And who could resist such an offer? Chef Atadika describes Midunu as “a multi-faceted culinary lifestyle company that celebrates Africa's cultural heritage through the use of local, seasonal, climate-smart, biodiverse and empowering heirloom ingredients.” She works closely with small farmers to grow, promote and create markets for West African indigenous and heritage ingredients. Her stated goal is to “cook dishes that have been passed down through generations, updating them, and in the process documenting a New African Cuisine.”  Her food philosophy is made manifest in a trilogy of deliciousness. The Midunu Tasting Menu series and Nomadic pop-up dinners offer fine dining innovation in and around Accra. The Midunu Institute offers inspirational educational opportunities to create pride in and demand for African ingredients across the value chain. Last but not least, there is the achingly wonderful Midunu artisan chocolate range which Atadika offers up as “a chef-scripted love story to our continent”. Anyone who has ever tasted the one bite bliss that is Midunu’s ‘Adwaa’ truffle – where a gloriously glossy, dark chocolate shell enrobes fruity, fragrant, peppery Prekese spiced milk chocolate ganache – will understand why the continent in general and Food XX in particular loves chef Atadika back…

Meghan Werner

Drinks (Non-Alcoholic)

2022

Meghan Werner

Drinks (Non-Alcoholic)

Theonista

2022

“Clean, simple, delicious” are Meghan Werner’s watch words at pioneering kombucha and craft soda business Theonista. She says that she has “consistently chosen to invest in people over machines. I believe in balance in all things, so we strive to create that organically in our product. We have strict ingredient policies which ensure that we consistently use real plants (teas, fruits, botanicals, spices, roots, herbs) and don’t use colourants, flavourants, preservatives, or hidden chemical processing agents.” Whether you want the soothing elegance of chai latte spice tea concentrate or the vibrance of ginger, rooibos kombucha every sip celebrates African botanicals and the healing potential of nature. Of her Food XX win Meghan observes that “the past few years have been brutal for small businesses. It is so lovely to be able to come together with likeminded women in a space that recognises the values we all uphold. It is confirmation that what we do matters and that ours is a community holding together and moving forward against all odds.”

Sibongile Gumede

Farming

2022

Sibongile Gumede

Farming

Bongi G Fresh Farm

2022

Potchefstroom poultry and vegetable farmer Sibongile Gumede grew up in an Eastern Free State farming family and says that “in my heart I always knew that I wanted to work in the agricultural sphere but I got a chance to go to university and somehow I got side tracked into IT and finance for a while. It was only in 2017 that I assessed where I was and where my passions truly resided. That was when Bongi G farm was born.” She explains that “everything we do at Bongi G farm is geared towards creating a real farm to table experience with ethical values prioritising environmental and human health. Flavour is a natural result of such farming methods. Our birds are allowed to roam freely so that they can feed off insects, bugs and plants. The nutrients from this varied diet can then be transferred into the eggs and meat creating the healthy, great tasting food that we are so proud of.”

Wendy Vesela-Ntimbani

Entrepreneur

2022

Wendy Vesela-Ntimbani

Entrepreneur

Matomani

2022

Wendy Vesela-Ntimbani’s insectivorous enterprise, Matomani, gathers, processes, and markets mopani caterpillar-based pantry products. Raised in rural Limpopo, Wendy says that she “always had this proudly South African ingredient as an integral part of my Tsonga heritage but I now have aspirations for it to go global.” She describes her range as “part of a protein diet revolution from Southern Africa to the world that empowers local communities and does good for our planet.” As a business Matomani is committed to creating employment and carbon credits through their delicious, superfood snacks. Whether you want whole, premium quality, dried product, high protein cracker biscuits or protein bars, there is a mopani based, healthy taste treat to match the mood. Thanking the judges for her award Wendy observed that “the journey of an entrepreneur is not an easy one, and the project that I have undertaken is ambitious but to be acknowledged like this by Food XX is so affirming.”

Hanneke van Linge

Giving Back

2022

Hanneke van Linge

Giving Back

Nosh Food Rescue NPC

2022

NOSH food Rescue founder, Hanneke van Linge aims to reduce food insecurity, by diverting, repurposing, and redistributing wholesome, nutritious, prepared and perishable surplus food. In pursuit of that goal, NOSH has provided over 5 million meals to soup kitchens and feeding schemes over the past 5 years. Of her award she says: “I am thankful and truly delighted to have won in the Giving Back category at Food XX. No one in the non-profit sector does what they do for the glory but it is nevertheless heart-warming to be acknowledged and lovely to know that someone noticed what we do. I very much look forward to leveraging this opportunity to deepen conversations around food surplus and waste with this fantastically dynamic network. I would also like to extend the recognition that I received to include the women in my tiny team and the broader network of Nosh beneficiaries they are truly the unsung heroes in their communities. Without them we could not have done any of what we do.”

Elmarié Rosochacki

Baker

2022

Elmarié Rosochacki

Baker

Mondvol Soet

2022

Elmarié Rosochacki is Cape Town’s eco-epicurean baking and confectionary queen. Her artisan enterprise, Mondvol Soet “came into existence during the Covid crisis when, coming from a family of bakers, it seemed like the natural progression to turn a talent into a business.” She currently produces from the Makers Landing Incubator Kitchen at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town and says that her work is “all about hitting that sweet spot inspired and guided by local ingredients and traditional recipes.” Whether you want perfect panforte replete with Prince Albert figs, delicious Dundee cake studded with Piketberg almonds or luxurious nougat laden with free range eggs and Overberg honey there is a bite of delight to suit every palate and wallet. Of her Food XX win she says: “I am so grateful for the strong, supportive sense of community that comes from all those involved in this award. It is so huge for me to be recognised for what I do. So often being the one making good food means being the person who is left behind washing the dishes and tidying the kitchen so, this recognition is just so wonderful and surprising. It has left me feeling that at least one of my mountains has been climbed and conquered.”

Nabo Binase

Newcomer

2022

Nabo Binase

Newcomer

UKUTYA

2022

Award presented by ‍

Gqebera-born, Cape Town-based food activist Nabo Binase says that: “winning the Food XX newcomer category means so much to me. Recognition for the work I'm passionate about gives me wind under my wings. Its motivating to keep pushing forward and being grounded in why I do what I do.” What she does is stylishly showcase indigenous and heritage ingredients, recipes and food culture through Ukutya Club Experience events. Her work (in collaboration with partner Lipato Shogole) is super seasonal and often features foraged foods. Specific ingredients change but curating classic and contemporary interpretations of traditional flavour combinations is always the order of the day. Previously part of the Makers Landing Incubator Programme, she says that: “this is only the start of my entrepreneurial journey. My eyes are focussed into a future brand that hopefully inspires mindfulness around our relationship with food and ourselves, ultimately understanding those connections of who we are and where our food comes from”.

Hélène Demetriou

Front of House

2022

Hélène Demetriou

Front of House

Olive Branch Deli

2022

Hélène Demetriou co-founded Cape Town’s Olive Branch Deli in 2015. Her service style is replete with kindness and consideration not only for each and every customer but also for the products on her shelves. She knows and loves them all. As the anonymous author who nominated her puts it: “Hélène’s gentle manner is legendary. It immediately reminds you that this world is a beautiful place if you dare to swop your busy and stressed lens. She will help you find a rare spice and then she will thank you sincerely for stopping by and when she does so, you will carry bits of that sweet sincerity on you for hours. She deserves a Food XX Award not only for her knowledge of food products which is profound but also for continuously reminding us of the potential for goodness in humanity.” And so say all of us…

Jess van Dyk

In the Kitchen

2022

Jess van Dyk

In the Kitchen

Post & Pepper

2022

Chef patron Jess van Dyk opened the doors to her Stellenbosch eatery Post & Pepper in February 2022. She previously held numerous prestigious food industry positions (including Head Chef at multi-award winning La Colombe, Cape Town) but says that “it is a real joy to be able to create something and see it rise from the beginning.” In her new venture the multi award winning chef says that she “strives to celebrate my South African food heritage, mixed with global influences.” Menus are subject to seasonal changes but expect homegrown, simple yet stylish taste treats such as potato roosterkoek with whipped butter, sage oil and pickles in an ambiance that is simultaneously refined and relaxed. Jess says that she is “hoping to create all the things we all love about fine dining with none of the stiffness that sometimes accompanies those fancy venues”. Her Food XX award “is a confirmation that we are on the right track and a really great way to meet a wide range of people in the South African food landscape.”

Ashleigh Frans

Food Photographer

2022

Ashleigh Frans

Food Photographer

Widewing Shoots

2022

Award presented by Spekko Rice

Ashleigh Frans describes her work as “food landscapes, filling the page with just food. No distractions from props. Always food first.” She explains that her journey to being a Food XX photography award winner was “a long, long story because growing up I wanted to be photographer forever and a day. I even remember being at primary school and having to give one of those ‘when I grow up’ type orals in class and saying that it was my dream but along the way I had some setbacks and some people told me that the dream was not possible or that I didn’t deserve it. It can be hard to get that negativity out of your head.”

Her entry into food photography came while working with her partner, chef Strone Henry to create Instagram images for their family food business, Side Wing. She says that: “through my own experience with Side Wing I discovered my passion for assisting small businesses to develop their visual brand. I have been fortunate to work with chefs such as Mmabatho Molefe right from the start, so I have been able to see that evolution happen.“

Dr Anna Trapido

Fresh Voice in Food

2022

Dr Anna Trapido

Fresh Voice in Food

2022

Award presented by Spekko Rice

Anna Trapido was trained as both a chef and an anthropologist. She uses both disciplines in her work which focuses on the connections between food, identity and Africa past and present. Having received three Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, she sits on various local and international restaurant award committees and writes for numerous local and international publications. She was the content producer on the 2017 Discovery Channel show Matt Thebutt’s Taste of South Africa and has a regular food and lifestyle spot on Johannesburg’s 702 Talk Radio. She once made cranberry scones for Michelle Obama and (a long time ago) swallowed a digital watch by mistake. Of her Food XX win she says: “I am so surprised and pleased. At the ceremony, I was beyond excited to be in the room with all those amazing people. I can’t remember when I was last in a space with so many people that I admire and love so much. Probably never.”

Tasneem Karodia

Future Food

2022

Tasneem Karodia

Future Food

Mzansi Food Co

2022

Tasneem Karodia describes herself as having: “a passion for sustainability, particularly as it relates to revolutionizing our food systems. I focus on alternative proteins, specifically cultivated meat because that is essential if we are to re-imagine our food systems for the better.” As the co-founder and CFO of Mzansi Meat, Africa’s first cellular agriculture start-up, Tasneem is ideally placed to alter the ways we eat by making meat carbon negative and cruelty-free. Cells are harvested by veterinarians from animals at a local farm sanctuary before being taken to the company’s laboratories where they are isolated, grown in a culture medium, and added to intricate scaffolds to generate a whole-cut product. The process cuts the requirements for exhaustive animal rearing and slaughter. Of her work Tasneem says “We are at the forefront of re-imagining food systems for the better but there is always a need to create a larger community of like minds. One of the reasons that I am so pleased to have won a Food XX award is that I hope it will inspire others looking to disrupt our food systems. The more of us out there, the better we will all be.”

Samkelesiwe Chunda

Sustainability

2022

Samkelesiwe Chunda

Sustainability

Siyabeni Metrofarming

2022

Samkelisiwe Chunda is a Gauteng based agricultural environmentalist with a passion for enabling sustainable food production through innovative technology. Her commitment to “making farming affordable and doable in cities” resulted in the founding of Sibayeni Metro-farming through which she empowers entrepreneurs by manufacturing hydroponics systems and vertical farming infrastructure. She also provides smart farming training for emerging farmers and aspiring agri-preneurs. She says: “We are bringing innovation and technology into farming. We have a population increase in the cities and we struggle to produce food. However, many jobless people, especially young people… don’t turn to agriculture because agriculture is seen as something that can only happen when you have a large piece of land. The good thing about our method is that we are able to maximize space and saves up to 90% irrigation water.”

Cass Abrahams

Food Icon

2021

Cass Abrahams

Food Icon

Food Historian and Author

2021

Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela

Judges’ Choice

2021

Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela

Judges’ Choice

Brewster’s Craft

2021

Joy Phala

Farming

2021

Joy Phala

Farming

Organic Kitchen Gardens

2021

Mokgadi Itsweng

Future Food

2021

Mokgadi Itsweng

Future Food

Lotsha Foods / Uju Spice

2021

Mmabatho Molefe

Newcomer

2021

Mmabatho Molefe

Newcomer

Emazulwini

2021

Bathandwa Nkambule

Fresh Voices

2021

Bathandwa Nkambule

Fresh Voices

The Earthy Cook

2021

Georgia East

Food Styling

2021

Georgia East

Food Styling

East After Noon

2021

Mo Lewis

Baker

2021

Mo Lewis

Baker

The Accidental Baker

2021

Dr Tracy Nelwamondo

Food Educator

2021

Dr Tracy Nelwamondo

Food Educator

Modern Traditions

2021

Nobhongo Gxolo

Entrepreneur

2021

Nobhongo Gxolo

Entrepreneur

Third Culture Experiment Food Club

2021

Carla Schulze

In The Kitchen

2021

Carla Schulze

In The Kitchen

The Test Kitchen

2021

Simnikiwe Mkhize

Front Of House

2021

Simnikiwe Mkhize

Front Of House

Rosetta Roastery

2021

Laurie Cooper

Alcohol

2021

Laurie Cooper

Alcohol

Abingdon Wine Estate

2021

Thekla Teunis

Sustainability

2021

Thekla Teunis

Sustainability

Grounded

2021

Loubie Rusch

Heritage

2021

Loubie Rusch

Heritage

Making Kos

2021

Maria Van Zyl

Secret Ingredient

2021

Maria Van Zyl

Secret Ingredient

Cream of the Crop Micro Dairy

2021

Roushanna Gray

Sustainability

2019

Roushanna Gray

Sustainability

Veld and Sea

2019

Award sponsored by Spier

Roushanna Gray is a wild food innovator and avid forager. She began Veld and Sea to share her knowledge on local, edible landscapes through classes and immersive workshops and to educate others on responsible, sustainable and seasonal foraging with respect for the environment. She’s advised some of Cape Town’s top chefs on the possibilities of cooking with wild foods. 

Judge’s comment: 'Sustainability' has become such a buzzword in the food community, and yet so many people don't actually know what it means or how to embrace it truly. Roushanna Gray is the living embodiment of sustainability. Through her courses at Veld and Sea, she is the leading educator on indigenous foods and living kindly off the environment. -Jessica Spiro

Mokgadi Mabela

Farming

2019

Mokgadi Mabela

Farming

Native Nosi

2019

Award sponsored by Woolworths

Mokgadi Mabela is a third-generation beekeeper and the founder of Native Nosi, a proudly local honey producer in an industry where much of our honey is imported. Native Nosi’s honey is unprocessed and organic, harvested from beehives in Limpopo, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Mokgadi’s aspiration is to build the biggest female beekeeping company in South Africa. Her aim through Native Nosi is to produce local, quality, pure honey, alleviating poverty through job creation and providing rural beekeepers with access to urban markets. 

Judge’s comment:The honey Mokgadi Mabela sells comes from small, local farmers with whom she works with very closely, as well her own hives. She's not only reviving the fairly lost art of beekeeping in South Africa, but she's bringing awareness to the importance of bees in our eco-system. - Jessica Spiro 

Jackie Cameron

Food Educator

2019

Jackie Cameron

Food Educator

Jackie Cameron School of Food & Wine

2019

Renowned chef andauthor Jackie Cameron opened the Jackie Cameron School of Food & Wine inHilton in 2015 to share her considerable expertise and experience with the nextgeneration of chefs. A dedicated lecturer, she mentors each student personallythroughout an 18 month intensive, internationally-recognised course. She hascreated a safe and secure environment where she guides her students toestablish balanced and healthy lifestyles within an industry that’s often theopposite. Her students go on to work at top restaurants around thecountry. 

Judge's comment: Uplifting people with skills inand out of the kitchen is what moves Jackie Cameron. She’s a beacon of payingit forward, imparting her hard-earned knowledge and dedicating her time workingalongside her students every day. She’s a trailblazer in the world of foodeducation creating a nourishing environment for aspiring chefs and equippingthem with not only cooking skills, but the right attitude to make it in a toughindustry. - Alix-Rose Cowie

Hilda Adams

Entrepreneur

2019

Hilda Adams

Entrepreneur

Weskus Mandjie

2019

Award sponsored by Krone

Fisherwoman andactivist Hilda Adams works within the small fishing village of Mamre where shefounded the business Weskus Mandjie, a small group of local women making andselling preserves and homemade products to sustain themselves and theirfamilies through their coastal heritage. She’s dedicated to ethical methods ofbusiness as an advocate for the Slow Fish movement, a campaign bringingawareness to sustainable fishing practices.

Judge’s comment: Hilda is a shining example ofsmall scale entrepreneurship changing lives. She’s found a way to market andmonetise local knowledge and traditional crafts to empower women. - Alix-RoseCowie

Karen Dudley

In The Kitchen

2019

Karen Dudley

In The Kitchen

The Kitchen

2019

Chef and restaurateur Karen Dudley’s The Kitchen is a Woodstock institution built around wholesome, plant-forward, seasonal food. A people-person, food is the way she connects and communicates with her loyal community. She nurtures and works alongside a team of women serving food that embraces diverse flavour, texture and colour in her eclectic, one-of-a-kind space. She’s the author of three cookbooks: A week in the Kitchen, Another week in the kitchen and Set a Table.Her food philosophy is serving food as love and devotion on a plate. She believes food made with generosity and attention has the power to grow a community and to make people happy. 

Judge’s comment: Karen Dudley is an inspiration.Running a food business is an intense test of mental, spiritual and physical strength. She has built a brand, which has grown over the years to be a household name in Cape Town. Her cookbooks which celebrate seasonal fresh ingredients, teach us how to eat and look at vegetables differently and her entrepreneurial spirit shows young female cooks that you can make an impact with your passion. - Mokgadi Itsweng

Mpho Tshukudu and Anna Trapido

Heritage

2019

Mpho Tshukudu and Anna Trapido

Heritage

Eat Ting book

2019

Mpho Tshukudu is a registered dietician and an African indigenous foods researcher. Anna Trapido is a chef and food anthropologist. Together they published Eat Ting in 2016, aground-breaking guide to southern African superfoods and traditional food knowledge for health and wellbeing that’s both comprehensive and accessible. 

Judge's comment: Mpho Tshukudu and Anna Trapido cleverly combined their areas of expertise to bring about a new way of looking at health and wellness. WithEat Ting, they set out to offer a way of healthy eating based on traditional southern African food and ingredients, thereby marrying the old world with the new. - Jessica Spiro 

Zayaan Khan

Future Food

2019

Zayaan Khan

Future Food

2019

Award sponsored by Woolworths

Zayaan Khan is a food alchemist and activist. She’s a South African co-ordinator for the SlowFood Youth Network, where she fights for seed sovereignty: the right for farmers to breed, save and exchange seeds to prevent unnatural hybrids and destructive monocultures. She’s the co-founder of food activism blog, TheApocalypse Pantry. She forages, ferments, and preserves and through her experiments she’s become an expert on entomophagy — the eating of insects as food — which she sees as part of a necessary revival of indigenous food culture lost during colonisation. 

 

Judge’s comment: A tireless activist, Zayaan Khan is an expert on eating insects, which has not only become something of a trend recently, but is ultimately a necessity to ensure food security in the future. - Jessica Spiro 

Brigitte Lilley

Secret Ingredient

2019

Brigitte Lilley

Secret Ingredient

Jason Bakery

2019

Her brother’s name is on the door but there would be no Jason Bakery without co-owner Brigitte Lilley. Her passion and hard work have helped to make the three much-loved locations: Jason Bakery on Bree, Jason Bakery Green Point and Maison J, CapeTown’s go-to bakeries. 

Judge’s comment:Anyone who has been to Jason Bakery will know exactly why Brigitte Lilley is the most deserving of this award. Where her brother, Jason, has helped to shapeCape Town's bakery standards, Brigitte helped make it possible. She works tirelessly behind the scenes (or at the front of house on a crazed Saturday morning brunch service) to maintain incredibly high standards and keep the business successfully running. And does it all with the biggest smile on herface. - Jessica Spiro 

Gosia Zielińska

Front of House

2019

Gosia Zielińska

Front of House

The Pot Luck Club

2019

Gosia Zielińska is the incredibly knowledgable and hard-working sommelier and assistant manager at The Pot Luck Club. Her love for food and wine began in London where she worked for Jamie Oliver and discovered her sense of smell and taste were her strengths when it came to wine-tasting. She began her career in Cape Town as a waitress at the newly opened The Test Kitchen and has been working for the LukeDale-Roberts group of restaurants ever since, playing a significant role in its substantial success. 

Judge's comment: In my opinion, I always love how Gosia Zielińska describes wine. I've never quite heard anyone use the words she does, but they make so much sense. She's also highly knowledgeable and can (and will) happily chat to you about any wine for hours. - Jessica Spiro 

Dorah Sitole

Food Icon

2019

Dorah Sitole

Food Icon

2019

An expert onAfrican cooking, Dorah Sitole’s career in the food industry spans 40 years.She’s the former Food Editor of True Love magazine, a role she served in for 22years before becoming the Editor of the magazine for three more years. She’s worked as a food stylist and travel writer and has travelled the African continent extensively. She has received the Galliova Certificate of Merit for outstanding achievement in food writing and has authored or co-authored a number of books, including Recipes with a Touch of Africa and Cooking from Cape to Cairo. Dorah is trained as a cordon bleu cook and is a member of theProfessional Culinary Association. Her mission is to create ‘an awareness of how awesome African food is’.

 

Judge’s comment: Dorah Sitole is the first black food writer, mentor and mom to women in food all over Africa. She is the first person to introduce food as a career option to most of us, before her there was nothing. She has put African food on the map, through her recipe books and also as the food editor of True Love. She holds one of the highest honours - The order of Ikhamanga from former president Thabo Mbeki, for preserving our food heritage and sharing it with the world. She is a beautiful soul, who continues to be an inspiration to us all. - Mokgadi Itsweng

Margot Janse

Giving back

2019

Margot Janse

Giving back

Isabelo

2019

Award sponsored by Woolworths

Award-winning chefMargot Janse is the force behind the Isabelo project established ten years agowhile she was Executive Chef at Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek. Isabelofeeds warm, nutritious breakfasts and lunches to hundreds of hungry schoolchildren in the Franschhoek area. Since leaving Le Quartier Francais, Margot’shome has become the distribution centre for milk, fruit, eggs and porridge,making sure children can learn better with good food in their stomachs everyschool day. She’s raised the funds for the project herself by hosting charitydinners supported by international chefs. 

Judge's comments: If Isabelo didn’t exist,hundreds of school kids would go without a daily meal. Margot is giving backusing what she knows best: food and her connections in the international foodindustry. She’ll do whatever it takes to grow Isabelo, whether that’s running amarathon to raise funds or recruiting a rock star line up of chefs to cook forcharity. - Alix-Rose Cowie

Caro De Waal

Food Styling

2019

Caro De Waal

Food Styling

2019

Caro De Waal usesfood as an artistic medium to create extraordinary installations and multisensory experiences. Her conceptual work uses food to surprise and stimulatethrough projects like interpreting abstract art through food in a contemporaryart gallery, creating edible marble or incorporating performance art into alive dessert installation. 

Judge's comment: Caro de Waal is an artist andthe textures, scents and colours of food is her playful medium. She elevatesfood to the avant-garde. Beautiful and interesting to experience, her work alsopacks a conceptual punch, revealing a creative and curious mind. - Alix-RoseCowie

Lucy Beard

Alcohol

2019

Lucy Beard

Alcohol

Hope on Hopkins

2019

Distiller LucyBeard is the co-founder of Hope on Hopkins, Cape Town’s first licensed gindistillery at the forefront of the craft gin revolution in the city. Hope onHopkins is committed to experimentation, innovation, iteration and craft toproduce the best possible product which has garnered a devoted following. 

 

Judge’s comment: Lucy is a pioneer and aninspiration to anyone who has wanted to change their lives or take a risk. Shetook a chance by leaving a corporate job as a lawyer in London to dedicateherself to creating an artisanal product that heroes high quality ingredients,local flavours, craft, passion and independence. She’s a front runner of thecraft gin boom in South Africa. A powerhouse in the industry, not only does shecreate beautiful products under her own label, she develops recipes and distilsgins for a variety of other much-loved brands bringing excellence and diversityto the local scene. - Alix-Rose Cowie

Nikki Albertyn

Baker

2019

Nikki Albertyn

Baker

Sweet LionHeart

2019

Successfulf irst-time entrepreneur Nikki Albertyn leads an all-women team at LionHeart, an innovative online-based patisserie creating eye-catching, mouth-watering cakesin Cape Town. What started out as a side hustle to her job as a graphic designer became a full-time business in 2016. Nikki shares the techniques she’s learnt through workshops and shares her boundary-pushing cake art with her thousands of fans on social media. 

Judge’s comment: I have been judging the baking category of the Young British Foodies awards in the UK for 9 years and have seen so many entries over the years for businesses like this one but never anyone good enough to make the shortlist. I was genuinely impressed with Nikki’s obvious talent, the creativity of her cakes and the business she has built in such a small space of time. There are lots of people around the world trying to do a similar thing but this is one of the best businesses of this model I've seen. - Lily Vanilli

Ishay Govender

Fresh Voice

2019