Chefs with Compassion – supported by caring corporate citizens and chefs around the country – have surpassed their previous record for the volume of soup cooked in its annual #67000litres for Mandela Day campaign, held yesterday, 18th July 2024. This year marked a significant milestone as we celebrated the fifth anniversary of the campaign.

Thanks to the collaborative effort of chefs, corporates, culinary schools, and community organisations, Chefs with Compassion exceeded expectations, cooking a total of 106,895 litres and serving 427,580 cups of nourishing soup on Mandela Day 2024. Over the past five years, the campaign has served a remarkable total of 450,259 litres, providing 1,801,036 cups of soup to those in need on Mandela Day.

For the fourth consecutive year, the poultry industry, facilitated by the Poultry Bulletin, demonstrated immense generosity. Rainbow Chicken Farms, Astral Chicken, and Country Bird Holdings each donated R67,000 worth of chicken, totalling approximately 7.5 tonnes of chicken. TopLay also joined the effort, donating 67 dozen eggs in Johannesburg and 67 dozen eggs in Cape Town. “The poultry industry is humbled to be involved with such an inspirational initiative,” says Poultry Bulletin editor Melinda Shaw.  “We are in the business of producing food, while Chefs with Compassion has the network to reach almost half a million hungry people on Mandela Day. The synergy is magical and we are grateful that we could provide protein-rich chicken and eggs to help you reach the target again.”

The Marriott Business Council of South Africa, including all Marriott properties across the country, played a crucial role in this year’s success. Marriott Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, The Westin, and Autograph Collection all participated. Additionally, nine corporate-backed kitchens, including CWC’s primary partner SYSPRO, which supported two kitchens in Johannesburg and at Makers Landing in Cape Town, Ster-Kinekor, Primedia, Opti Eyewear, Howard’s Mechanical, and the poultry companies, Astral Chicken and Rainbow Chicken, contributed to the total tally. The BOSSA Restaurant Group also registered all their kitchens nationwide, contributing between 60 and 200 litres per kitchen.

Once again, the largest contributors to the total tally of soup were Chefs with Compassion’s existing network of kitchens who collect rescued food from CWC’s sharehouse on a weekly basis and cook nourishing meals for their communities. The contributions from CWC’s existing kitchen hubs significantly supported the cause, ranging from 2 000 to 8 500 litres. The Infinity Foundation in Randburg was the largest single contributor, cooking a whopping 8 500 litres.

This year also marked the participation of all Capsicum Culinary Studio campuses across the country, as well as the HTA School of Culinary Art, the Soweto Chefs Academy, the International Hotel School in Cape Town, and Sunninghill. Makers Landing in Cape Town joined as a new kitchen, with exceptional support by the V&A Waterfront.

Says Chef Coo Pillay, founding director of Chefs with Compassion, “One of this year’s most significant highlights was the involvement of Primedia Broadcasting as our official media partner, providing extensive airtime on 947, 702, Cape Talk, and KFM. They backed three kitchens, pledging 2 400 litres, and will cook on 24th July. Primedia Outdoor also facilitated billboards nationwide to highlight Chefs with Compassion’s daily work rescuing and cooking food for hungry people.

"This year – our fifth since the #67000litres challenge was launched in the heart of lockdown in 2020 – was a truly fantastic year with immense support from all sectors, ensuring we could make a substantial impact."

Chefs with Compassion continues to work tirelessly beyond Mandela Day, rescuing surplus food and feeding thousands of people daily. To support this noble cause, visit www.cwc.org.za to make a donation or to get involved in future initiatives.