Ikusasa School of Cooking
In 2008 The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Durban Bailli, Sundru Pillay, made a presentation to the International Chaîne des Rôtisseurs in Paris suggesting the creation of a social responsibility leg to the Chaîne internationally. Approval was given in 2009 and the ‘Association Caritative de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ (ACCR) was created with Sundru as a Trustee. He formulated a plan to start a cooking training school for the disadvantaged in SA.
Three Cities had a Management Development programme called the ‘Starfish Programme’ and an element of this programme required the participants, in teams, to develop a social responsibility programme. In 2008 one of the teams suggested the establishment of a class room at the St Martin’s Children Home in Durban to teach the children to cook. They were asked by the mentors of the programme, who included Don King, then Managing Director of IHS, to reconsider their proposal and to look for a way of making the proposed project more sustainable.
A series of events brought Sundru and the four participants in the ‘Starfish Programme’ together and the Ikusasa School of Cooking was born based at the St Martin’s Children’s Home with IHS providing academic support. Funding and ongoing management (sustainability) was to be provided by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Foundation Trust which Sundru formed with himself, Don King and an enthusiastic local lawyer Susan Abro as the initial Trustees.
A second school was set up in the Riebeek Valley in 2013. It accommodates 12 students and is based on the premises of the Riebeek Valley Special School in Riebeek West.
The schools are run under the auspices of IHS, a registered Private Higher Education Institution and FET College and the academic staff involved are employed by IHS.
The certification is verified and provided free of charge by City and Guilds of London to successful students thereby providing the students with an internationally recognised culinary qualification.
The successful students are issued, free of charge, with three uniforms, appropriate safety shoes, a set of knives, text books and other leaning materials they may require – everything they require to start their culinary career!
Initially Students undergo a short Induction phase during which they complete short courses in Basic First Aid and Basic Fire Fighting. Knife skills, food safety and basic culinary knowledge and skills are also covered during the Induction phase. During Induction students may visit businesses of interest, an abattoir, food processing factories and hotels.
After this phase students begin their formal training. During this time students are required to spend three days each week (Monday to Wednesday) at school and three of the remaining four days completing Work Integrated Learning within the industry. During school time students learn the theory of culinary arts and food skills which are then practiced and developed within the workplace. Work Integrated Learning takes place in local working kitchens (hotels or restaurants) where students are expected to work as ‘normal’ employees working typical shift rotations. Students are not compensated financially for the Work Integrated Learning phases.
Successful students leave the school after one year with the City and Guilds Certificate in Food Preparation and Cooking.