Battle of Chefs Africa comes to Malawi

Malawians who love cooking will have a platform to showcase their skills courtesy of the Battle of Chefs Africa competition scheduled to start on August 8.

Battle of Chefs Africa founder Famida Daud Aly said in an interview that after the preliminary round, 33 locals were shortlisted for the showdown.

“This is not an ordinary cooking competition because it is also aimed at bringing people together to celebrate our diversity as a country and also to showcase that we can conduct an international event at large or small scale,” she said.

Daud-Aly said since food is at the centre of almost every community and culture, the competition offers participants a chance to showcase their lifestyle and traditions through food.

She said:“Battle of Chefs Africa project will also strive to give back to the community by having our contestants offer cooking lessons to single mothers, street kids and selected vulnerable groups to give them a chance to acquire skills that can help them become financially independent.”

In a separate interview, one of the 33 local contestants Falida Mkumba said she was looking forward to the competition since cooking local and international cuisines had always been her passion.

“Malawians know how to cook and they love good food. It is just that of late, we have been brainwashed into eating too much junk food. I hope we will have more of these competitions to encourage healthy eating,” she said.

Mkumba, who has a diploma in hotel and catering management from South Africa College of Tourism, said she was prepared for any challenge that the organisers will give her and other contestants.

“At the end of the day, it is about participating and interacting. Many Malawians are good cooks, but they hide their skills,” she said.

The Battle of Chefs Africa started with auditions in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu where everyone aged above 16 was allowed to participate by preparing a dish of their choice.

The competition locally ends in September with the final winner walking away with K2 million. The winner will also participate in the Battle of Chefs Africa finals to take place after 10 other African countries identify their winners later this year. Mali already identified its finalist.