It has always been a dream of the 17-year-old Rebecca Flietor from Turflaagte to one day become a chef.
Her dream was realised on Friday when Bloemfontein’s Food & Beverage Institute (FBI) and Reach for a Dream hosted Flietor as guest chef at FBI’s chef school.
A three-course meal was prepared for Flietor’s guests and included canapés and cocktails on arrival, a hearty soup with homemade bread as a starter, sirloin steak with vegetables and chickpeas as the main course, and butternut and citrus pudding topped with spun sugar as dessert.
According to Chef Jarine Mostert of FBI, this was the first time the institution was involved with Reach for a Dream. They were very excited to help make Flietor’s dream come alive. Flietor helped to add the finishing touches to the dishes, helped with plating and garnished the dishes. After all was done she had to introduce her ten guests to the menu.
“I want to cook lekker food and prepare food that people can enjoy. I am going to cook for my family and they are going to tell me how the food is,” an excited Flietor told Voice while she was getting dressed in her specially made chef’s outfit given to her by the FBI.
Flietor invited ten of her family members, as well as some of her caregivers at Lesedi Centre of Hope in Turflaagte where she stays, to experience the day with her.
Yolanda Maartens from Reach for a Dream says Flietor’s dream is to one day become a chef and the FBI helped her realise her dream. “They invited us here and sponsored everything for the day. They prepared a feast for Rebecca’s invited guests. She is here to live out her passion and we are blessed to experience it with her.”
After all the work in the kitchen had been done, Flietor enjoyed the meal with her friends and family. – Maricelle Botha
maricelle@centralmediagroup.co.za