Craving pizza? The Col’Cacchio Celebrity Chef Series kicked off this month, and we reckon it’s a pretty good excuse to indulge. Each year, the pizzeria chain invites top local chefs to come up with innovative new pizza toppings for charity. A portion of the proceeds from the Celebrity Chef Series pizzas will go towards an upgrade of Red Cross Children’s Hospital’s chronic illness wards. ? ?

Three top chefs will be taking part in this year’s challenge. First up for the month of May is Jackie Cameron of Eat Out Award-nominated Hartford House in KZN. Her Carpe Funghi pizza is topped with mozzarella, caramelised onion, oven-roasted mushrooms, roasted garlic, Italian Parmesan, beef carpaccio, truffle mayonnaise and fresh dill. (A vegetarian version is also available.)? ?

Coco Reinarhz (of Sel et Poivre in Gauteng) will take the stage in June with his Bujumbura pizza with mozzarella, brinjals, North African chicken tagine, green olives, preserved lemons, fresh coriander and coriander-infused yoghurt.

Chris Erasmus of Pierneef à La Motte in Franschhoek is the third and final celebrity chef, whose Liplekker Ribbetjie pizza will debut in July. It has a béchamel base infused with roasted garlic and rosemary, topped with mozzarella, smoked and braised lamb soutribbetjie, caramelised onion, pears poached in Port, fresh rocket and a sprinkling of rosemary salt. (We can’t wait!)         ? ?

In a new twist, the public will decide the toppings for the fourth pizza for August. Col’Cacchio is giving away a year’s supply of free slices to the inventor of the winning combination. Entrants can post their ideas on www.colcacchio.co.za and, once the top five finalists have been selected, the three celebrity chefs will choose which gourmet masterpiece wins. ? ?

Last year, the Celebrity Chef Series raised R227 000 for the Wildlands Conservation Trust from the donations and sale of 9 071 Celebrity Chef pizzas over the duration of the campaign.

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