Great plans for MasterChef's Sipho

Published Dec 18, 2014

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Natural talent, good fortune and a willingness to learn were all the ingredients domestic worker and now the MasterChef SA runner-up Siphokazi Mdlankomo needed to inch closer to realising her dream of becoming a cook.

This was the view of her proud employer and cheerleader of nine years, Liz Andreasen.

Andreasen, formerly of Durban, was speaking to The Mercury yesterday about Mdlankomo’s journey and their relationship. Andreasen is in Durban on a short visit to see her mother.

Mdlankomo, 39, was pipped to the MasterChef title by Roxi Wardman, of Durban, in this season’s finale on DStv on Thursday last week. Mdlankomo took home R100 000 for her endeavours.

Andreasen said that Mdlankomo, who still lived in a cottage at Andreasen’s family home, showed interest in sharpening her cooking skills when she was hired in 2005.

“She had been trying up to that point. She had worked with two other families and was always keen to learn, but they weren’t into cooking. She just did the normal housekeeping job, looking after the kids. She joined us and I’ve got a big passion for cooking,” she said.

Andreasen runs a hospitality business and says she deals with some of the country’s top chefs who sometimes cook in her home.

“Siphokazi interacted with them. Her love for cooking is something she’s always wanted to explore, but it just got bigger and better,” she said.

In 2012, Mdlankomo made it all the way to the semi-finals of another cooking competition, the SA Cook-Off. Last year she was included in a cook book released by Leisure Books. The next hurdle was MasterChef SA.

“The morning of the ‘cold audition’, my husband got up at 5am to take her to the Cullinan Hotel. During the whole day, she kept the family updated until they picked her up at 6pm,” said Andreasen.

“She got into the car and had this bubbly look and she just didn’t stop. She was grinning from ear to ear. I asked why and she told me she was through to the hot auditions on the Monday.”

Speaking to The Mercury on Wednesday, Mdlankomo said: “For now, I just want things to calm down. I do know what I’ll do next year, but I just can’t say for now.”

She said she had not expected to stay in the MasterChef competition for so long, “but wished to, because every day was a challenge”.

 Andreasen said she and Mdlankomo clicked “instantly” after the aspirant chef responded to a newspaper advert for employment.

“At the time, my boys were 13 and 9, or even younger, and I needed someone to be there in the afternoon and prepare dinner. And then she came to the interview… I took one look at her and knew she was the one,” she said.

Andreasen said they had another helper in the house who did the washing and ironing, with Mdlankomo mainly “overseeing the house”. She ran the house with an iron fist, said Andreasen.

“Hopefully, amazing opportunities will open up for her and everybody’s keen to chat to her. For now, she wants to have a little time to spend with the family.”

Andreasen said they were planning to get Mdlankomo an agent.

“There’s a lot of people… wanting her to make appearances. I’m sure she’ll end up doing a cooking show because she comes across exceptionally well on TV.

“I’m so proud of her. On Thursday, my heart dropped when she was announced as number two. I wanted so badly for her to win. But the other lady is just as talented as Sipho, and there could only be one winner.”

 The Mercury

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