Siba’s bestselling My Table gets an award at food world’s Oscars

Johannesburg - South African celebrity chef Siba Mtongana’s self-published book, My Table, was awarded a special award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Yantai city on the Bohai Strait in northeastern Shandong province, China.

My Table is the first book for the Food Network chef and has become the bestselling cookbook at retail shops, including Woolworths. It is lauded for making cooking easy, accessible and glamorous for ordinary mums.

Known as the Oscars of the food industry, the Gourmand Awards were established by Édouard Cointreau in 1995 to honour the very best food and wine books in the world. Only one special award was presented per country.

“It’s an honour to be celebrated in this way ... Just being at the ceremony was an amazing experience.

“It’s my goal to represent and showcase the continent’s drive, innovation and skill on the international stage. Participating in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards is just one way to do that,” she said.

The East London-born Mtongana is known for her cooking show, Siba’s Table, which is one of the most popular on the Food Network, and is broadcast in more than 130 countries. She is also the first South African to have her own show on the Cooking Channel, which reaches an estimated 60 million households in the US alone.