PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
South African cookbook, Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics,
shortlisted for Gourmand ‘Best in The World’ Cookbook Award.
7 February 2017 – Knysna, South Africa – I am proud to
announce that Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics has
been shortlisted for a renowned publishing award – the
Gourmand World Cookbook Award’s ‘Best in the World’.
Mila’s Meals is representing South Africa in the Food Culture
section of the awards following the ‘Best in South Africa’
Gourmand Award earlier this year in the Self-Published
category, which qualified the book to represent South Africa in
Gourmand International’s Best In The World Awards. Mila’s
Meals is shortlisted in the First Book category.
“I am truly honoured to receive such an accolade, especially
since Mila’s Meals is my first book and it is self published (I
wrote it, created the recipes and designed the book) and it is
competing with so many large, established publishing
companies from around the globe. This endorsement of the
hard work and blind faith over the three and a half years it took to complete the book will hopefully
lead to a publishing deal for the next two books I have in mind – Mila’s Medicine and Mila’s Meals:
Lunchboxes & Celebrations” says author Catherine Barnhoorn.
The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards have been recognizing and rewarding the world’s best food
writing for the last 22 years.
Other publications contending in the First Book category are:
 Aquacasia: Culinary Jewels of the Indian Ocean, by W. Reinbacher (Shanti Hotel) from Mauritius
 Malaysian Students’ Cookbook, by Izarra Azuddin (MPH) from Malaysia
 Arbeidsvitaminen, by Mascha Perquin-Sarneel (Loopvis) from The Netherlands
 Philippine Cookery: From Heart To Platter, by Tatung Sarthou (ABS) from the Philippines
 50 recettes, by Tata Yawo (Oadel) from Togo
Previous winners in the First Book category include The Rock’s Kitchen, by Zoe Anna Torres (Pegasus)
and The Pollan Family Table, by Corky, Lori, Dana and Tracy Pollan (Scribner).
PRESS RELEASE: South African cookbook, Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics, shortlisted for Gourmand Best in The
World Cookbook Award.
I am honoured to be representing South Africa at the awards and congratulate the other South
Africa authors and publishers who have been shortlisted. The full list of South African publications
shortlisted are:
 Special Award - My Table, Siba Mtongana (Pilovision Media)
 TV Celebrity Chef – In English - Simply Delicious, Zola Nene (Struik)
 TV Celebrity Chef – World – Corli se Kombuis, by Corli Botha (Human Rousseau)
 Innovative - Tasty Wastenots, Sally-Ann Creed, Jason Whitehead (NB)
 Entertaining - Een Maal, Johnny Hamman (NB)
 Bloggers - Kokkedoor 2, by Errieda du Toit (Human Rousseau)
 African - My little black recipe book, Siphokazi Mdlankomo (Metz)
 Desserts – Pastry - Baking with Jackie Cameron (PRH)
 Fundraising – Charity - Giving back childhood (Struik)
 First Book - Mila’s Meals, by Catherine Barnhoorn
Last year’s awards had 209 countries participating in the awards; 103 countries on the shortlist; 89
categroies and 766 finalists.
The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards will take place in Yantai, China on the 27th of May 2017. You
can find out more about the awards here - http://www.cookbookfair.com/
See the full list of shortlisted contenders here.
– ENDS –
Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics can be purchased online on www.milasmeals.co.za or from:
www.Faithful-To-Nature.co.za, www.Yuppiechef.com, www.Takealot.com, www.Loot.co.za,
www.Amazon.com, www.BookDepository.com as well as other online and brick and mortar stores.
Please see www.milasmeals.co.za website for full details.
Catherine Barnhoorn is available for interviews and live appearances. She is also looking for sponsors
to help get her to China for the Awards Ceremony in May.
She can be contacted by email ([email protected]) or by phone (084 823 6273).
Review copies of Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics are available upon request.
ABOUT THE AWARDS
The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were founded in 1995 in Spain by Edouard Cointreau (of the
famous Cointreau family) to honour the best food and wine books in the world and to increase
knowledge and respect for the food and wine culture. The competition has grown to be the most
prestigious for this genre in the world. Publishers from over 200 countries nominate thousands of
PRESS RELEASE: South African cookbook, Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics, shortlisted for Gourmand Best in The
World Cookbook Award.
books every year. Selected books first compete on a national level before moving on to The Best in the
World competition. All types of publishers, from large publishing houses, to self-publishers are invited
to participate. Edouard Cointreau considers professional self-publishing to be the fastest growing
segment in the publishing industry.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics is a 500-page collection of over 100 gluten-free, sugar-free,
dairy-free nourishing wholefood recipes and food ideas for baby’s first years (and the rest of the family
too). Created, written and published by Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Catherine Barnhoorn with
photography by Alfred Lor.
Part recipe book, part nutrition encyclopedia, part journal of Catherine's journey into motherhood,
Mila's Meals is a call to action for every parent to be conscious of what they are feeding their little
ones, providing a guideline on how to achieve this as effectively, effortlessly and joyfully as possible.
With more people learning about what foods their children can't eat (with the prevalence of conditions
like celiac disease, IBS, lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, ADHD, and diabetes on the rise),
uncertainty about what food options they can eat has become a growing problem.
Mila’s Meals addresses this overwhelming challenge by being more than just a cookbook - it offers a
very comprehensive explanation of food intolerances, an extensive ingredient glossary (for all 156
ingredients used in the book) as well as various charts and tables showing which nutrients are
necessary for optimal growth and development and where to find them (while avoiding gluten, dairy
and sugar), which food additives to avoid, as well as food introduction charts and guidance.
“With so many littlies out there with constipation, runny noses and ADHD, Catherine Barnhoorn has
explained the importance of staying clear of gluten, dairy and sugar and supplied alternatives, which
include delightful recipe suggestions. All the fun in eating is still there, promise!” – Rachel Jesson,
(health food specialist, sports scientist and co-author of Wholesome Nutrition For You)