It’s been one of the most anticipated announcements in SA television, but M-Net has finally revealed the judges of the much-anticipated South African version of the world famous reality show, MasterChef. The judges are MondoVino chef, Benny Masekwameng, Piccolo Mondo chef Andrew Atkinson and Pete Goffe-Wood, Eat In DSTV Food Network Produce Awards judge and owner of the Kitchen Cowboys cooking school. ?

Pete is perhaps best known in the industry as a food editor and judge on panels for the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants and the Eat Out Awards in previous years.

Andrew is a director of the South African Chefs’ Association and has presented cooking shows on SABC and radio. While running his own catering company, he cooked for presidents Mandela, Mbeki and Clinton, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles.

Benny’s story, meanwhile, is an inspirational one. He started out in Alexandra, helping his mother prepare food to sell to the workers in local townships. He eventually saved enough to study catering management, and worked his way up to become an executive chef who’s travelled around the world. ?

MasterChef SA will premier on M-Net on 20 March 2012. With prizes worth R8 million – including R250 000 in cash from Robertsons, a Hyundai Elantra 1.6 GLS and an all-expenses-paid seven-day cooking course in Italy, courtesy of food sponsor Woolworths – we’re sure the competition will be stiff!

Image by dcarlbom