Two of the judges are previous Galliova Award winners. This includes former True Love food editor and cookbook author, Dorah Sitole, who received the Galliova Certificate of Merit in 1992 for outstanding achievement in food writing. Although Sitole is an acclaimed magazine food stylist and cooking TV show host, and has lectured across the globe, she will always be renowned for shining the culinary spotlight on the flavours of Africa through her books Cape to Cairo and Cooking from Cape to Cairo, and for her knowledge of the continent's rich culinary traditions.
The second previous Galliova Award winner on the judging panel is Anna Montali, the former food and deputy editor of Food & Home Entertaining. Montali received the Galliova Food Writer of the Year Award in 2007 and has been further recognised for her efforts in the South African industry through several Caxton media awards, and the LG Home Chef in Dubai Award. Prior to her 15-year stint at Food & Home Entertaining, Montali ran her own restaurant and was involved in professional catering.
Also on the panel is KwaZulu-Natal-based chef, tutor, writer and cookbook author, Jackie Cameron. She is best known for her 12-year tenure as executive chef at the five-star boutique hotel, Hartford House. She has since opened her own chef school, writes monthly columns for The Witness newspaper and Chef! magazine, and has launched her own chef's range of clothing, described as a ‘chic alternative to conventional kitchen wear’. Her first book, Jackie Cameron Cooks At Home, was published in May 2013, and by July the same year achieved the status of second highest cookbook sold in the country as voted by Exclusive Books. The book subsequently won Best Woman Chef Book in South Africa at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
Representing heritage food from the Cape is Hetta van Deventer-Terblanche, culinary manager at the well-known Pierneef a La Motte Restaurant on the La Motte Estate in Franschhoek. Van Deventer-Terblanche, who is also a judge on kykNET’s cooking and baking show open to both amateurs and professional chefs, Kokkedoor, is author of Cape Winelands Cuisine, a remarkable cookbook and a first for South Africa of historical, traditional recipes from the Cape winelands.
Judging the health writers’ awards will once again be Professor Marthinette Stretch (Cape Town), a registered dietician and professor at the University of Pretoria, and Madeleine de Villiers (Cape Town), a nutritional consultant and dietitian in private practice.
The Galliova Food and Health Writers’ Awards enters its 26th year this year. It features two main awards categories, Galliova Food Writer of the Year (magazines) and Galliova Food Writer of the Year (newspapers and weekly titles).
There are four affiliate awards, namely Health Writer of the Year; Up and Coming Food Writer of the Year; Up and Coming Health Writer of the Year (new category in 2015); and the Galliova Egg Champion.
All South African food and health journalists are invited to enter and be a part of the Galliova Awards heritage of honouring food and health journalism excellence.
The competition is now open, and all entries must be received by 16:00 on Wednesday, 9 September.
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