ZIMBABWE is once again on the global culinary stage, with SAHTC — The Hospitality School representing the country for the ninth time at the Young Chefs Olympiad (YCO), currently underway in India.
Known as the “Culinary Olympics”, the prestigious competition began on February 1 with an opening ceremony in Bangalore, India’s southern technology hub.
It brings together young culinary talent from 50 countries for a week of high-level competition, innovation and cultural exchange across major Indian cities, including Bangalore, Delhi, Goa, Pune and Hyderabad.
Zimbabwe’s representative is Tadiwanashe Taruvinga, a 21-year-old second-year junior chef at SAHTC, who earned her place after winning a closely-contested national selection.
The Olympiad is hosted by the International Institute of Hospitality Management, in partnership with the International Hospitality Council in London.
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Since its launch in 2015, the competition has gained global recognition for promoting professional culinary standards, creativity and cross-cultural understanding among emerging chefs.
Zimbabwe was drawn into the Delhi group alongside the United Arab Emirates, England, Bulgaria, Lesotho, Wales, Albania, Oman, the United States and Equatorial Guinea.
The grand finale and awards ceremony will be held today in Kolkata, where top teams from the five groups will compete for international honours.
A defining feature of this year’s edition is its focus on the responsible integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into hospitality education, under the theme “Preserving the World’s Global Culinary Heritage through AI.” Organisers say AI-enabled research was used to develop culinary dossiers for each participating country.
For Taruvinga, the journey to India is as much about learning, networking and culinary diplomacy as it is about competition. She is accompanied by her mentor, Mutsawashe Olinda Mvududu.
“I am so excited. It wasn’t easy, but I am happy I managed to make it,” Taruvinga told IndependentXtra.
“This means a lot to me because I will get to meet different chefs from different levels. I will also be able to share what I learn with my peers when I come back home.”
Speaking at a press conference last week on Thursday, Mvududu said Zimbabwe’s participation continued to strengthen the school’s training programmes.
“I learnt a lot the first time we went to India, and some of those lessons were incorporated into our training.
Continued participation in these activities means the school keeps growing in leaps and bounds,” she said.
To prepare for the competition, SAHTC arranged for Taruvinga to train alongside professional chefs at leading local hotels, including Hyatt Regency Harare — The Meikles.
A key highlight of the Olympiad is the United World of Young Chefs, which showcases national dishes from more than 50 countries on a single platform.
Another distinctive feature is the use of modern food and beverage technology, including the KitchenCut engine, which supports recipe development, nutritional analysis and allergen tracking.
Zimbabwe has previously recorded notable successes at the Olympiad. Tafadzwa Nigel Siyanga won the Rising Star Award in 2019, while Eliasaph Chipare claimed the Best in Kitchen Hygiene Award in 2023.
Established more than 20 years ago, SAHTC provides industry-aligned hospitality and culinary training focused on competency-based learning and practical excellence.
Many of its graduates are now employed in leading hospitality establishments across the United States, Canada, Dubai, Ireland and Scotland.
Participation in the YCO aligns with the institution’s mission to produce globally competitive graduates while enhancing the visibility and credibility of vocational culinary education in Zimbabwe.