Durban -
Weeks after a KwaZulu-Natal musician scooped the prize for the Idols SA singing competition, Durban’s 26-year-old train driver assistant, Roxi Wardman, is South Africa’s best cook after bagging the MasterChef SA first prize.
At the finale held at the Sandton Convention Centre on Thursday night, Wardman cooked off against Cape Town domestic worker, Siphokazi Mdlankomo, 39 – whom she beat by just 8 points, to become the third winner of MasterChef SA.
Wardman will take home R500 000 in cash, a VW Tiguan car, R100 000 in food vouchers and a trip to the French winelands with her partner.
Mdlankomo walks away with R100 000. She will also receive a year’s supply of wine and a five-night stay at a hotel in the Seychelles.
In the climax of this season’s competition, the finalists had to undergo three “showdown” challenges.
Wardman opted for little boboties with traditional yellow rice, date and apricot chutneys. Her chutney featured a pint of quince, onions and carrot.
Speaking to the Daily News on Friday, Wardman said Durban was underrated as a culinary destination and she wanted to change that.
In the new year, after enjoying a relaxing festive season, and “coming to terms” with her win, she planned to use her prize money, to open a café and patisserie. “I will start looking for premises and a really good team to work with. I want to put Durban on the foodie map.”
With a barrage of media interviews lined up for the day, the Bluff woman said she was still in a state of excited shock. “I had no idea I was going to win, I really thought it would swing to Siphokazi, she is amazing and a fierce competitor.”
Adding to her nerves was cooking alongside MasterChef Professionals judge Marco Pierre White. “I was shocked when I heard my name, I thought I was hearing things.”