FBI Chef School - Bloemfontein

Food is never just food.

It brings people together, carries traditions, creates memories and gives us a reason to sit around the same table.

For those who choose cooking as a career, that simple act of feeding people becomes a craft, a skill and a lifelong passion. 👨‍🍳

Food. Art. Passion.

What an incredible showcase of young culinary talent! 👨‍🍳

A huge congratulations to every learner who took part in the FBI School Chef of the Year 2026 competition. Your creativity, passion, hard work and courage to step into the kitchen and compete is something to be incredibly proud of.

Free State Results
🥇 1st Place: Carlé Greyling (Oranje Meisies School) | Best Main Course
🥈 2nd Place: Anneke Viljoen (Martie du Plessis School)
🥉 3rd Place: Rudi Smit (Fichardtpark High School) | Best Hygiene

Special Awards
Best Starter: Johannes Grobbelaar (Vryburg High School)
Best Use of Sponsored Lancewood Products: Johannes Grobbelaar (Vryburg High School)

Northern Cape Results
🥇 Winner: Rainey de Bruin (Adamantia High School) | Best Starter & Best Produce
🥈 2nd Place: Franzel Cronjé (Adamantia High School) | Best Main Course
🥉 3rd Place: Abednego Bezuidenhout (Adamantia High School)

Special Award
Best Workspace Hygiene: Rekhotso Tshabalala (Adamantia High School)

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible sponsors for helping make this competition possible:
Malu Pork
LANCEWOOD
Bidfood Free State
HYCHEM Free State
Sharp Edge

Your support continues to inspire and invest in the next generation of South African chefs.

To every competitor: keep dreaming, keep creating, and keep cooking. The future of our culinary industry is in very capable hands. ❤️

From Bloemfontein to the world. 🌍👨‍🍳

We're incredibly proud to see our talented students making their mark on the international culinary stage. Their passion, dedication and hard work continue to open doors to exciting opportunities across the globe.

A huge thank you to Maroela Media for sharing their journey.

👉 Read the full article below and celebrate this exciting milestone with us.

Jong SA sjefs eersdaags in internasionale kombuis - Maroela Media Die groep is saamgestel ná ʼn streng en omvattende keurings- en beoordelingsproses. ʼn String jong dog bekwame sjefs vorm deel van die span en sal Suid-Afrika eersdaags in Luxemburg verteenwoordig.

Well... this explains all the boxes. 😅
The kitchen packed itself.
The utensils called shotgun.
And apparently the chef hats were first in line.

After years of incredible memories, countless dishes, and generations of aspiring chefs passing through our kitchens, it's time for an exciting new chapter.

🚚 FBI is moving!

We're incredibly excited for what's ahead and can't wait to welcome you to our brand-new home.

We'll be sharing our new address and all the details very soon...
For now, let's just say something exciting is cooking behind the scenes. 👨‍🍳

Recipes provide the roadmap.
Passion, curiosity and practice are what turn them into something memorable.

That's the difference between simply following instructions... and truly learning the craft. 👨‍🍳

One thing our students quickly discover?
Chefs have a language all of their own. 👨‍🍳

Some phrases get passed down through kitchens everywhere. They're equal parts confidence, experience... and wishful thinking. 😅

The best part? Every chef has said at least one of them.

Remember the onion? 🧅
Last week, we gave the humble onion its well-deserved moment in the spotlight. But the truth is, it doesn’t work alone.

This is a big part of learning to cook. It’s not always about the fanciest ingredient or the biggest technique. It’s learning what each ingredient brings to the dish, when to use it, and sometimes more importantly, when to stop.

Because chef life is really just a series of tiny decisions that somehow end up on one plate. 🍽️

The onion deserves a public apology. 🧅

For years it's been making soups richer, sauces deeper, stews heartier, and meals more flavourful... And what does it get in return?

People complaining that it made them cry. Honestly, some respect is long overdue.
The true kitchen MVP doesn't need attention. It just quietly makes everything better.

💬 Team Onion or Team "pick it out and leave it on the side of the plate"?

He's not following a recipe.
He's not measuring anything.
And somehow, the steak comes out perfect every single time. 🥩

This Father's Day, we're celebrating the dads, grandads and father figures who taught us that cooking isn't just about food.
It's about gathering people around a fire, telling stories, and insisting that nobody touches the tongs.

Happy Father's Day from the FBI family. 👨‍🍳