A popular uptown restaurant Max & Sherry of Blantyre has lived up to its bill after its Chef Richard Mtawali, well known as Chef Ricardo, emerged the winner of The Battle of Chefs Africa Contest.
He outshone 32 other contestants drawn across Malawi and topped the seven top finalists who battled it out for the top four prize-winning bracket.
For his feat, Chef Ricardo received K4 million, second-placed Chef Adam, owner of Thai Catering Service, got K1.2 million, third-positioned Chef Chimwemwe of Amaryllis Hotel Blantyre pocketed K500,000 while owner of About The Kitchen Chef Lee got K250,000 on fourth position.
Reacting to the success, Max & Sherry applauded Chef Ricardo on their popular Facebook Page for his feat, saying he has made them proud.
Reads the post in part: “The story of Max & Sherry cannot and will never complete without mentioning our King of the Kitchen. He is one guy who has given it his all for our sake, sharp upstairs, stylish and creative in cooking. We cannot thank him enough.
“He is our Head Chef and he has worked tirelessly to build a team that now anchors Max & Sherry Kitchen.”
Amaryllis Hotel also cherished their Chef Chimwemwe for being the only lady in the final seven and went on to settle for third position.
“A massive congratulations to our very own Chef Chimwemwe! Top 3 Finalist at Battle of the Chefs Africa!. The only female in the Top 7 and proudly representing Amaryllis Hotel, Chef Chimwemwe has made us incredibly proud. Your journey, skill and determination have inspired many. You’ve flown the flag high and made history!”
In a statement, the founder of the contest Famida Daud Aly, who is also behind Family Food Festival, said it has proved to be more than just a cooking competition.
“It is a powerful culinary foundation for the continent, dedicated to discovering, nurturing and celebrating African culinary talent. The finalists were put through intense culinary challenges, cheered on by their families who came out to show support,” she said.
The contest debuted in Mali in 2021 and was first held in Malawi in 2022 and returned this year for the third season.
