On January 10^th, we were pleased to have a special guest chef demonstration with Chef Petrus Madutlela. Petrus Madutlela is a highly- acclaimed chef hailing from South Africa who has worked for many renowned restaurants, including the legendary Savoy as a Chef de Partie. He is currently Head Chef at The Poet at Matfield. His visit to the school was in partnership with the South African Young Chef of the Year competition.

Chef Madutlela began developing his love for the culinary arts by often cooking for his siblings whilst his parents worked long hours. In the early days of his career, he worked as a chef at Pecanwood allowing him to work alongside top chefs including Margot Janse.

During his two hour demonstration, Chef Madutlela prepared Milk Tart Semifreddo with Rooibos Poached Pear as well as Koeksister with Rooibos Poached Pear. Koeksister is a traditional South African doughnut glazed with syrup or honey. In his demonstration, he prepared fresh syrup made from sugar, ginger and some grated rind and juice of lemon which the fried dough was coated in.

The dishes served were perfect sweet treats abounding in flavour with varying textures. The ingredients used included rooibos tea leaves, cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, as well as oranges and pears.

His demonstration was full to capacity with just under eighty attendees. The evening was very interactive as Chef Madutlela frequently made people laugh with his humour making the cooking session truly unforgettable.

We would like to thank Chef Petrus Madutlela for the joyful evening full of a delightful cultural exchange and delicious food. We hope to welcome him back again to our London institute in the near future!