Nine chefs. Six baristas. Months of preparation. One national culinary stage.
Empact Group’s 2026 Culinary Exchange brought the best of Food by Empact’s culinary talent together at the Red Roman Shed at Emperors Palace. The annual event celebrated the people, skills and partnerships supporting the group’s national foodservice operation.
The day marked the culmination of regional competitions and months of preparation. It also brought chefs, baristas, suppliers, clients and Empact teams together under one roof.
Alongside the national finals, the Supplier Showcase gave Empact’s partners an opportunity to present their products and services directly to the teams using them across the business.
Six years of culinary competition
The Culinary Exchange has grown considerably since it was introduced six years ago.
Empact Group CEO Alan Quinn told guests that this year set new records for chef entries, supplier participation and client attendance.
“This competition gives people across our kitchens the opportunity to step forward and show what they can do,” says Quinn.
He highlighted the opportunities the competition creates for cooks and team members who may not have started their careers as chefs.
For Quinn, the competition is about giving people the opportunity to create, compete and demonstrate their abilities.
Nine finalists, three courses and a mystery basket
The Chef’s Competition began with regional heats before narrowing the field to nine national finalists from across the country.
Each executive chef competed alongside an assistant chef. The format was designed to give emerging culinary talent the chance to learn directly from experienced executive chefs in a competitive environment.
According to Kuben Moodley, Managing Director of Food by Empact, the assistant chef component forms an important part of the organisation’s development approach.
“Our aim is to see those assistant chefs move into executive chef roles in the years ahead,” says Moodley. “That is how the competition becomes part of a genuine development pipeline.”
The finalists had three hours to prepare three courses.
The starter and main course had to be created from a mystery basket. Dessert, meanwhile, tested precision and technical ability through the replication of an Apple Charlotte with chocolate crémeux, Maldon salt, olive oil and a sugar dome.
There was another challenge.
Competitors had to use fire to prepare at least one element of their dishes. They also had to reduce food waste during preparation.
Bevan Cornelius takes the top spot
Executive Chef Bevan Cornelius, assisted by Leticia Dywili from Netcare Kuils River in Cape Town, claimed first place.
The winning team received a R15,000 cash prize and a Rational knife set.
Their menu featured prawn arancini with lemon aioli, followed by seared duck breast with smoked mashed potato, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, duck-fat potato skins and blueberry jus.
Second place went to Executive Chef Rynhard van de Westhuizen, assisted by Thabo Masekela from Vodacom Gauteng.
They received R10,000 for a menu featuring seabass roulade filled with dill and prawn on beurre blanc, followed by coal-fired duck breast with honey-butter sweet potato and blueberry and beetroot purée.
Third place was awarded to Executive Chef Gedaffi Cezula and assistant chef Portia Khenkebe from the Mercedes-Benz plant in East London.
Their third-place finish earned them R5,000.
Their menu included pan-seared seabass with prawn and seafood risotto, followed by flame-grilled duck with berry and beetroot purée, fondant butternut, asparagus and spinach mash.
The baristas take centre stage
The competition extended beyond the kitchen.
Six finalists were selected from hundreds of entries submitted across Food by Empact operations around the country for the 2026 Barista Competition.
The finalists faced a series of coffee-focused challenges.
Each had to prepare two cappuccinos with latte art, demonstrate correct extraction, explain tasting notes to the judges and create a signature drink.
The 2026 winner was Tebisa Juca, Unit Barista at Akeso Parktown.
For Moodley, reaching the national final was itself the result of significant preparation.
“Our chefs and baristas do not arrive at the final by chance,” says Moodley. “They have come through months of preparation and selection to earn their place.”
He adds that the Culinary Exchange provides recognition while creating an opportunity for participants to test themselves, learn from colleagues and explore where their skills can take them.
Suppliers are part of the story
The Culinary Exchange was not only about competition.
The Supplier Showcase formed a central part of the event. Suppliers created interactive stands where guests could sample products, experience new offerings and engage directly with the businesses behind many of the ingredients, products and services used throughout Empact’s operations.
For Empact, these relationships extend beyond procurement.
“Our suppliers contribute directly to the service we are able to deliver to clients,” says Moodley.
He says suppliers bring ideas, products, technical expertise and solutions into the business, making them partners in Empact’s operations.
The event provided those partners with an opportunity to share the space and recognition with Empact’s teams.
A growing meeting point for the industry
More than 100 clients attended during the day, alongside approximately 400 Empact managers.
That scale reflects how the Culinary Exchange has evolved into more than an annual competition.
It now serves as an internal skills platform and a meeting point for clients, teams and suppliers.
For Quinn, that combination is central to the event’s success.
“A day like this takes months of work, but what makes it worthwhile is seeing people step outside their usual roles and put themselves forward,” says Quinn.
The 2026 Culinary Exchange ultimately placed three things on the same table: culinary talent, skills development and industry partnerships.
And as Food by Empact’s chefs and baristas continue to develop their craft, the competition provides a national platform for that talent to be recognised.
