Durban | Monday
FOUR tons of chicken, four tons of lamb, one and half tons of pasta, Danish pastries, croissants, African dishes and Durban’s famous curries are on the menu to cater for the thousands of delegates to the World Conference Against Racism.
”But, we will not serve anything as exotic as crocodile,” says Markus Banziger executive chef at International Convention Centre where the conference will be held.
”We will have people from across the world gathered here in Durban and we do not want to offend anyone. All our catering will be alcohol and pork free and vegetarian choices will also be available,” Banziger said.
Breakfast will be served 24 hours a day to cater for some of the hundreds of journalists who might be working through the night to meet the deadlines in their own countries or for those who wake up very early to do the same.
”We must remember that at any time of the day in South Africa it may be 6am in the home country of one of the delegates,” Banziger said.
”Maybe they feel like having breakfast at 2am.”
A chef for 24 years, Banziger trained in Switzerland and has travelled the world, gaining the experience to cater for delegates converging on Durban from such diverse countries as India, Nepal, the Bahamas, Djibouti, Cuba, Ecuador, Gabon, Lebanon, Kuwait, Mongolia, Namibia and, Korea.
While a call has been made on the thousands of restaurants in Durban to prepare to serve lunch and dinner to about 5000 delegates every day the ICC will also provide food for delegates and journalists.
Banziger said there would be at least a hundred chefs on site on a 24 hour basis. In total about 200 people are expected to provide food, working three hour shifts each day.
Every day the ICC will provide some 2 000 cups of coffee, between 1 200 and 1 800 Danish pastries and croissants, between 1 200 to 1 500 sandwiches as well as bottled water and juice.
For the duration of the week-long conference delegates are expected to consume four tons of chicken, four tons of lamb, two tons of fish, three tons of vegetables, between one and two tons of fresh fruits and vegetables and 1,5 tons each of pasta, beans, pap and samp.
No shellfish will however be served, because many are allergic to it.
Banziger started working at the ICC, shortly after it was built in early 1997 and while more delegates had attended the Aids conference last year, the composition of the delegates was different, he said.
He praised his team who will be sacrificing a lot personally for the conference. ”A chef is like a conductor — he is useless without his musicians. This will be a great team effort,” Banziger said. – Sapa