Twenty-three-year-old Chris Payne, Sous Chef at Singita Sweni lodge was awarded second place in the coveted Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Junior Chef Competition. The annual competition attracted entries from each of the six Chaîne regions of South Africa, and the finals took place in Stellenbosch at the Institute of Culinary Arts at the end of May.

Chris joined Singita in 2007 and has been working with Head Chef Frank Louw at the exclusive Sweni Lodge in the Kruger National Park. He completed an Advanced Food and Wine Diploma at The Culinary Academy (TCA) before taking on a two year stint at Buitenverwachting Restaurant in Cape Town.

His menu at the competition finals comprised an appetizer of Pan fried Dorado, steamed mussels in saffron cream with fennel; followed by a main course of braised Noix de Veau with shitake ravioli, seared foie gras and confit tomato; and concluded with a dark chocolate parfait with kirsch poached pear and flambéed raspberries.

Recognised internationally as providing 'the best safari experience in Africa', the Singita product offering includes nine iconic, low-impact, high-end lodges in four destinations including the Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand in South Africa, as well as in Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Multi-award winner of virtually every hotel and travel award both locally and globally, the focus of Singita is not only game viewing, cuisine, wine, high design and luxury, but also an uncompromising dedication to conservation and sustainability, which includes several significant community projects.