For more than 80 years, KOO has been part of South African households and gatherings - birthdays, funerals, parties, holidays, mid-week dinners and secret dessert indulgences – and continues to hold that special place in our homes.
There’s no doubt that the second season of Colour Your Plate with KOO was a resounding success - not only for the talented contestants who showcased their culinary skills, but also for the renowned judging panel. The judging panel comprised internationally acclaimed chef and author Reuben Riffle and nutritionist Arthur Ramoroka, together with a plethora of celebrity judges who had a front row seat to the unique food interpretations.
Each week, the talented chefs overcame new challenges to prove themselves in this culinary journey and to claim the title of “Mzansi’s next cooking star”.
Every challenge brought its own fresh innovations using KOO’s canned goods to achieve nutritious and colour-filled plates for the judges to enjoy - and for Mzansi to be inspired by.
From fine dining experiences to hearty heritage meals and even delicious corn custard – this season’s contestants truly brought the heat to the kitchen.
“All challenges were designed to bring out different strengths and to help contestants think ‘outside of the can’ to create nutritious, balanced and bright plates. All contestants knocked these challenges out the can, with Karen Van De Merwe ultimately reigning supreme. The contestants had the opportunity to showcase the versatility of KOO’s products by creating colourful and well-balanced midweek meals for the toughest judges – children.
“They created amazing ‘plaas to table’ fine dining experiences showcasing KOO’s innate adaptability and their culinary strengths to create unique one-of-a-kind dishes, which wowed the judges every week,” said Edna Mohale-Maphita, KOO marketing director.
With the festive season around the corner, the show came at the perfect time for South Africans to find new ways to use KOO to recreate some of these awesome recipes. Viewers can create fun dishes using unorthodox ingredients to put a smile on the faces of their loved ones as they celebrate the festive season.
Chef Reuben Riffle has been on the judging panel since season one and said that the quality of season two’s contestants “blew them away”.
“We have tasted some great creations. For many contestants, this is a dream opportunity and we definitely approach the show and contestants with that in mind. As a chef, I always look forward to enjoying meals created by somebody else and to be inspired. This season, the contestants did just that and their efforts got them far in the competition - making our job as judges very difficult, each week.”
Judge and KOO’s nutritionist Arthur Ramoroka also had a tough job judging this season’s contestants.
“Nutrition is very important at KOO - and it was important for contestants to showcase this in all their meals, with every challenge. A huge part of the show is to educate South Africans about the importance of a balanced and nutritious meal that one can create with KOO, and to prove the credibility of KOO emphasising the importance of nutrition in all meals.”
While delicious meals and bright plates were a massive part of the show, nutrition was also a huge factor. KOO’s nutritional value is at the forefront of the show, which places an emphasis on KOO’s farm-to-can vegetables that are all locally grown.
The ethos of KOO’s production is farm-to-table living, with great emphasis on breaking the stigma of canned goods not being nutritious, while providing great quality food for South Africans to enjoy. A clear thread of this ethos is the sourcing of fruit and vegetables from local farmers – thereby supporting employment and ensuring that all farmers, both big and small, are recognised and contribute to KOO’s goodness.
Colour Your Plate with KOO season two saw Karen Van De Merwe walk away with the title of Mzansi’s new cooking star, and the opportunity to be mentored by Chef Reuben to hone her culinary skills and create more memorable dishes.
Follow the conversation online:
Facebook: @KOOFoodZA
Twitter: @KOO-Food
IG: @koofoodsa