17-year-old Stemmet has been awarded a culinary bursary to the Silwood School of Cookery in this joint initiative. The prize includes one year’s study sponsored by TASTE magazine and a second year's study sponsored by Silwood Cookery School.

Now in its seventh year, the TASTE Eat Out Bursary seeks to inspire, nurture and uplift promising culinary talent. Among other requirements, the ideal candidate should be younger than 35 years; have a passion for food and cooking; and show a keen interest in boosting the standard of South Africa's culinary industry. The bursary is awarded to a candidate who has dreams of becoming a dedicated chef, but does not necessarily have the resources to make it a reality.

Stemmet, a matric pupil at Plumstead High School, certainly fits the bill. He is passionate about cooking and baking, especially pastries. Says Stemmet, “I'm excited and anxious to let all the hard work begin. To work with the Silwood chefs is going to be a great honour for me, because I know they are going to give me a vast knowledge of food and kitchen management, which I really look forward to.”

Editor of Eat Out magazine and food editor of TASTE magazine, Abigail Donnelly says, “Damien is so passionate, which is shown through his absolute commitment to working in the kitchen (at Knead, a Cape Town bakery) over weekends and during school holidays, starting work in the early hours to bake bread. And what I loved about meeting him is that he just can’t stop talking about food.”