Six South African chefs have been awarded WWF-SASSI Trailblazer status for their commitment to the use of sustainable seafood.
The annual WWF-SASSI Trailblazer Awards 2019, held last night at Harbour House at the V&A Waterfront, recognised and celebrated six chefs for actively championing sustainable seafood practices in their restaurants.
The WWF-SASSI Trailblazers of 2019 are:
Carolize Coetzee, Tokara Restaurant (Stellenbosch)
Gustaaf Boshoff, The Green Goose Eatery (Stellenbosch)
Guy Bennett, Gigi Rooftop (Cape City Bowl)
Kyle Knight, The Shop (Sea Point)
Matt Manning, Grub & Vine (Cape City Bowl)
Nicole Loubser, GÅTE (Stellenbosch)
The chefs were chosen on the basis of the following factors:
- The restaurant’s seafood sustainability policy.
- The effectiveness of their communication of their seafood sustainability practices to their customers, employees and suppliers.
- Their level of engagement in communicating their seafood sustainability practices to a wider audience.
- The ‘Trailblazer factor’ – chefs and restaurants going the extra mile in promoting and supporting seafood sustainability.
Commenting on the awards Pavs Pillay, manager of the SASSI Programme with WWF-SA, said; “Chefs serve as the gatekeepers for the food and hospitality industry and so play a critical role in leading market forces, influencing popular taste and promoting ocean-friendly seafood.
Our partnership with them is inspired by a commitment to help restore our overexploited seafood species. The chefs we recognise have gone the extra mile in advocating the sustainability message. Congratulations to all the winners!”