General Competition Rules and Requirement
The South African Chefs Association (SA Chefs) prides itself in providing competition platforms that
are fair and safe, regardless of venue.
Competitions are considered part of our membership value proposition and all competitors of a SA
Chef Competition must be members of good standing.
These general requirements will pertain to all SA Chefs competitions both locally and abroad.
Specifics that must be included in Competition Communication:
This must be on each competition entry form:
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Teams or number of individual competitors that will be selected as finalists
Age limit (if applicable) of teams or competitors
Number of working stations
Time frame of competition i.e. closing date for entries, announcement of finalists, date and
time of competition
Duration of each segment of the competition
City and Venue of competition
Event at which competition will be held (if applicable)
Competition sponsor(s)
General Competition Venue requirements:
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Kitchen with stations must be clearly demarcated.
Stations must have a full set of chopping boards, work space and storage space for smalls.
Access to the stations must be limited to competitors, Competitions director, Competitions
Convener and staff/students. No public access or interference must be permitted.
The judges area, which must be private and enclosed.
The photographer/ media area must be provided.
Tables with table cloths need to be provided for the display of competitors plates. This may
or may not be in view of the public. This is also where the judges will feedback to the
students.
All competition stations must be marked with a number.
Corresponding numbers must be placed on the display table.
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Access for competitors must be arranged in advance and for a specific time.
Change rooms for competitors must be provided, if this is public restrooms, directions must
be communicated clearly.
Secure storage for competitors must be provided.
First aid box to be present.
Fire extinguishers to be present and in working condition.
Competitor specific rules:
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Sandwiches and soft drinks/ water will be supplied to competitors after the competition.
Water will be supplied to competitors throughout the competition.
Briefing for competitors must be done at least half an hour before the start of the
competition.
Competition Director, convenor and kitchen judge must be present at the competitor
briefing.
The following must be included in the briefing:
o Safety rules and regulations of the venue
o Reminder of hygiene rules
o Introduction to the students that will be assisting and what they are allowed to do
and not do
o Timing of the competition and serving times
o What equipment is allowed and provided and what is not
o Toolboxes rules (not stored on the floor)
o A walk through the stations, checking of equipment and training on new equipment
if necessary/ ingredients that are provided for the competition
o All first aid and fire safety rules and who to communicate to any incidents to
o Judging criteria from kitchen to tasting
o Kitchen judge will communicate with competitors and also offer words of
encouragement
o Allow adequate time for questions from competitors
o Time and date of prize giving
o If sponsor is present, allow for a word to competitors from Sponsor
o Competitors are allowed to bring in their own knives
o No cellphones or tablets will be allowed in the competition area or during
competing.
Judges rules and regulations
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All judges must be members of SA Chefs in good standing.
All judges must have completed the judging workshop with some judging experience (for
each competition the Competition Director will determine the level of Judges required).
A list of SA Chef competitions will be posted on the SA Chefs website in March of each year,
Judges who wish to judge will need to contact SA Chefs and reserve a space. From the list of
willing judges a panel will be selected by the Competition Director. (should more
competitions be added, the list will be amended).
Shadow judges are allowed at the discretion of the Competition director and will be
communicated with in writing upon request.
Judges area must have a dedicated student/helper to assist with set up/ clearing/ service
and catering provided.
The Kitchen judge has to be in the competition area at least 45 minutes before the start of
the competition in order to check the kitchen and brief the competitors.
The judge’s area must not be used as a store room and have enough space for a table and 5
chairs.
The judge’s area must be accessible without having to walk through and past the
competitors’ area.
The following items must be in the judges room:
o A table and 5 chairs
o Table cloth over the table (white or black)
o Clip boards for each judge and one extra
o Judging Sheets
o Consolidation sheets
o Pens
o Calculators
o Cutlery and crockery as required
o Serviettes
o Water/ still and sparkling
o A plate of sandwiches/ snacks for Judges before judging a competition
o Full competition rules and copies of entries
o List of ingredients and equipment provided
Judges are usually presented with a certificate and gift (at the discretion of SA Chefs).
Judges must sign the judge’s pledge and fill in a register for each day and each competition.
Convenor or Competition Director to brief judges before competition.
Convenor or Director to check on judging process throughout.
Ingredients and Equipment rules and regulations
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Unless specified no competitor may bring in any ingredients/ spices/ flavourants or
chemicals for a competition.
Should this be found a competitor will face immediate disqualification.
Equipment and smalls for each competition will be posted on the SA Chefs website when
entries for the competition are sent out. Competitors are tasked to check the website for a
detailed list.
A list of communal ingredients will be posted on the website for competitors to work from.
Should a competitor require specialised equipment they may ask written permission from
the Competition director. Should this be allowed the equipment will need to be placed on
the communal table for all competitors to use.
A list of allowed toolbox equipment including moulds will be posted on the SA Chefs
website. Competitors are required to familiarise themselves with this list and comply.
The following will be supplied:
o 2 Tea towels
o Blue cloth for general cleaning
o Cleaning Chemicals
o Sanitizer
o Foil
o Cling wrap
o Grease proof paper
o Oven gloves
General Competition information:
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SA Chefs will at all times endeavour to avoid conflict of interest where judging is concerned.
Due to limited availability of judges this might not always be possible.
SA Chefs or an objective representative will always audit the judge’s scores to ensure a fair
process.
City & Guilds Student Challenge is always verified by an independent C&G verifier.
Sponsors of competitions are always invited to participate in the judging process to ensure
that rules are adhered to and the process is fair and valuable.
Competitors will receive full feedback from the judges after the competition. We invite
coaches/mentors/lecturers to be present at the feedback and welcome them to take notes
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of what the judges are saying. This will aid the competitors in future competitions.
Competitors are often too worked up to take note of what is said in detail.
Very often the judges will be available straight after feedback should competitors or
mentors have any further questions.
The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into after the
competition. It is incredibly difficult to give feedback weeks after the competition with only
the judging sheets as reference.
Any complaints or concerns can be sent to the SA Chefs head office in writing at
[email protected]. These will be forwarded to the competitions director and answered in due
course.
We encourage students and young chefs to get involved in competition and urge our
training provider and corporate members to do the same. Competitions provide a perfect
platform for skills improvement as well as networking with industry leaders.
Tips for competitors
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ALWAYS read the competition requirements carefully and ensure you understand exactly
what is expected of you.
Do not be scared to ask questions: it is always advisable to be correctly informed.
Ensure that your entry is submitted before the closing date.
Keep your dishes simple and elegant.
Never do something you have never tried for the first time in competition.
Practice practice practice and then practice some more.
Always have a work plan and practice your dish(es) accordingly.
Expect that things will go wrong and plan for crisis management.
Focus on the following:
o Taste and seasoning
o Flavouring and texture of dish
o Enough sauce (if required)
o Presentation: keep it neat and clean
o Diversity of skill and cooking methods
o Hygiene in the kitchen and on yourself
o Have fun and be creative!
“Keep It Cooking! ~Dr Billy Gallagher”