Wayne Burgin shares his experience on the set of the hit reality TV show – Chopped SA.
My culinary journey began in 2000, when I embarked on a professional career that took me around the world, perfecting my skills in various kitchens. Over the years, I honed my craft, learning from diverse cultures and cuisines, each experience shaping me into the chef I am today.
In 2007, I co-founded a catering business, Chef Knows Best, with my partner, Margott Strydom, in Johannesburg, Sandton. For the past 16 years, our passion for cooking has driven us to create exceptional culinary experiences for our clients. Our dedication has been recognised in numerous magazines, and we’ve had the privilege of representing various brands along the way.
In 2017, I received an invitation that would mark a turning point in my career – a chance to compete on the South African edition of Chopped, the renowned American cooking show. The invitation alone was an honour, but the reality of competing was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking.
Stepping onto the Chopped SA set, I felt a surge of adrenaline. The pressure was immense – cameras constantly in my face, and the daunting task of creating menus on the spot using mystery ingredients.
The challenge wasn’t just about cooking; it was about performing at my highest level under intense scrutiny. The time constraints added to the tension, making every second count as I worked to plate starters, mains and desserts for the judges.
“The atmosphere was electric and the stakes were high. At times, it was overwhelming, but it was also incredibly motivating.”
The experience was surreal from the moment I arrived. I felt like a celebrity, going through wardrobe changes, constant makeup touch-ups and receiving briefings on how to prepare for what felt like the biggest showdown of my career.
The atmosphere was electric and the stakes were high. At times, it was overwhelming, but it was also incredibly motivating. Winning Chopped SA was a dream come true. When my name was announced as the winner, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. It was a moment that validated all the years of hard work, dedication and passion I had poured into my craft. The opportunity to showcase my creativity on such a prestigious platform was a career highlight.
The show aired on the Food Network channel, reaching audiences far and wide. The experience has remained one of the proudest moments of my career, a testament to the journey that began over two decades ago. Winning Chopped SA wasn’t just a victory in a competition; it was a celebration of my culinary journey and the passion that continues to drive me.
Q&A with the Chopped champ
What did you feel was the worst dish you had to prepare on Chopped SA and what was the best?
The worst dish was my dessert, as I underestimated the timeframe (20 minutes), and the ingredients allocated to me to use in the mystery basket were so unique that I stumbled in the beginning and barely made it at the end. The ingredients were Weetbix, lemon curd, marshmallows and Rooibos tea, as the theme of that day was cooking with South African products. I attempted to make a chocolate and marshmallow torte with Rooibos and mango sorbet, served with a lemon curd crumble.
My best dish was the starter I made. I was allocated sweet potato, pickled onions, fynbos and kingklip portions. I was given 20 minutes, in which I
created a kingklip ceviche with fynbos, a sweet potato and coconut cream foam with pickled onion relish. It was definitely a hit with the judges.
What was your winning dish, and how long were you given to create it?
My main course definitely helped me in winning over the judges. Given 30 minutes to put it together, I had to think out the box. The mystery basket consisted of springbok loin, morogo (African spinach), mampoer (strong, clear spirit made from fermented fruit) and Amarula (cream liqueur). I created a sliced springbok loin flambéed in mampoer, with an apricot chutney and crispy morogo disks drizzled with a crushed pink peppercorn Amarula jus (thin gravy).
What’s the strangest combination of ingredients you used that surprisingly worked?
It was definitely using Weetbix as a replacement in my dough mixture for my dessert. This was quite a challenge and risk to experiment with on the day; you could say I left it up to fate for it to work.
Were there any crazy or cool things that happened behind the scenes during filming, which never made it to the final show?
The crazy part of the show was that nothing was missing from the final edit. Once the timer started, there were no cuts. You had four cameras on you non-stop. Also, the constant reapplying of make-up. Yes, you heard me correctly, make-up to hide the sweat and glare of the lights was something
to get used to.
Did you ever secretly wish for a ‘mystery box’ filled with takeout menus instead of actual ingredients?
Honestly, I loved the challenge, as all the chefs received the same items to cook with, and I was so excited to cook up a storm. Nervous… yet very excited.
What’s the weirdest ‘chef hack’ you learned during the competition?
Most things are possible to cook in 20 minutes, and less is more. To make it uncomplicated, as presentation is key to success. A lot of the chefs made it complicated for themselves and the time ran away with them.