Institute of Culinary Arts - ICA

❄️🧑‍🍳 WINTER SCHOOL 2026
2 & 3 July | 09:00–13:00 | ICA Campus, Banhoek

Curious about life as a chef student? Join us for a hands-on introduction to the ICA’s world-class culinary training this July.

Our Winter School workshops offer high school learners the chance to step into our kitchens, experience practical tuition and explore what it means to pursue a career in the culinary arts.

Limited spaces available.

Bookings are now open. Visit our website to secure your spot here https://www.icachef.co.za/upcoming-events/ -schools

🍷 Our 1st Year students visited Koelenhof Winery in Stellenbosch as part of their Professional Wine Studies.

The day offered a closer look at winemaking, with time spent learning about the process and tasting wines on site.

For young chefs, experiences like these help build a better understanding of wine, food pairing and the role beverages play in the dining experience.

📸 As part of their Media Communication training, our 3rd Year students learn that food styling is not always as straightforward as it looks.

For this practical challenge, students had to create and photograph fake ice cream — a classic food styling technique used when real ice cream would melt too quickly on set.

It is a simple but valuable exercise that teaches students how to plan, problem-solve and use professional tricks of the trade to get the right image.

Images by 3rd Year Media Communication students Desmaré Brand, Charné Strauss, Louis Feldscher and Luïse Staats.

❄️🧑‍🍳 WINTER SCHOOL 2026
2 & 3 July | 09:00–13:00 | ICA Campus, Banhoek

Curious about life as a chef student? Join us for a hands-on introduction to the ICA’s world-class culinary training this July.

Our Winter School workshops offer high school learners the chance to step into our kitchens, experience practical tuition and explore what it means to pursue a career in the culinary arts.

Limited spaces available.

Bookings are now open. Visit our website or secure your spot here https://www.icachef.co.za/upcoming-events/ -schools

⚜️ The current hospitality industry demands professionals who understand the complete dining experience — from flavour pairing and guest interaction to event curation and business insight.

Did you know that ICA graduates have gone on to become sommeliers, wine ambassadors, hospitality managers, event coordinators, entrepreneurs and even educators?

At the ICA, wine is never approached as simply a beverage. It is understood as culture, storytelling, craftsmanship and experience.

Find out how the ICA’s Professional Wine Studies & Event Coordination specialisation field opens doors to careers that are broader and more exciting than students may ever have imagined when first stepping into the ICA's training kitchens.

Read the full article here https://www.icachef.co.za/ica-where-wine-hospitality-and-leadership-meet/

🧑‍🍳 The Chef’s Alphabet

D - Deglaze

To add liquid to a hot pan to dissolve browned bits (fond) and form the base of a sauce or reduction.

chefsabc

📸 As part of the 3rd Year Media Communication specialisation, students complete practicals that prepare them for real industry briefs.

In this challenge, students were asked to create an image for a recipe as part of a fictional brand campaign. The brief was to style and photograph a sandwich or salad concept for Babylonstoren olive oil, using fresh produce that suited the brand’s natural, seasonal and considered visual identity.

Exercises like these teach students how to think beyond the plate. They need to interpret a client brief, develop a suitable food concept, style the image, and photograph it in a way that feels aligned with the brand.

Images by 3rd Year Media Communication students Louis Feldscher and Desmaré Brand.

⚜️ For many aspiring chefs, the culinary world begins in a restaurant kitchen. But one of the most exciting and rapidly expanding sectors of the food industry exists far beyond the pass: New Product Development (NPD). From leading development kitchens to entrepreneurial ventures and internationally exported products, ICA graduates are proving just how limitless the possibilities can be.

Discover how ICA’s Product Development specialisation equips students to become innovators, industry leaders and creators of the products that shape the way the world eats. Read more here: https://www.icachef.co.za/innovation-beyond-the-kitchen/