Jodi-Ann Pearton

“The Chefs and the Teamaker 2014 event was one that changed my life forever. It opened my eyes to what real tea really is and made me realize that there is something that we grow up believing is tea and then there is something that is truly TEA.

The journey was not just about introducing 10 chefs to one another and to an amazing brand or about food and tea. It was about ethics, morals, culture and adventure. Dilmah Tea took 10 chefs from all over the world on a journey of a lifetime and introduced us to a value system that they believe in and live by as a business. A value system of investing in communities and lives and giving back to the people that make them who they are able to be – the best tea brand in the World.

Working with the Dilmah tea products and having the privilege of being able to taste many of the different teas was an incredible experience. Cooking with the teas was remarkable because the true potential of the herb really came to the forefront. It is not only about turning a leaf into a beverage but about capturing the flavour of the leaf – a single plant that nature so carefully handles, nurtures at different elevations in different weather conditions and in different soil types to give you so many different fabulous flavour profiles – in different cooking methods, to create dishes that really captivate the palate. The best part of the experience was watching how 10 different chefs utilised skills from

around the globe to showcase their skills, ideas and influences to capitalize on the unique flavour profiles of the different teas they worked with in order to really showcase the tea. It was a remarkable learning experience.

The Chefs and the Teamaker was a moving and emotional experience for me and it was hard to leave. I know that I made friends for life on those 10 days and most importantly I learnt lessons of moral values and business ethics that I shall follow through into my own career. I also trained my palate and learnt so much about a fabulous plant and herb that I now have so much more respect for and at every possible moment shall share that knowledge with those that I am able too.”

A talented young chef well-known in both the South African and international culinary arenas, Jodi-Ann brings a vibrant, passionate and tasteful approach to food. Her passion for food and love of public speaking has seen her speak both locally and at numerous international food and motivation conferences.

A perfectionist by nature, for Jodi-Ann food is not simply about feeding one’s self but about tantalising all of one’s senses which is apparent in her work. The Chairman of Gauteng Chapter of the South African Chefs Association for 3 years and now a director of the South African Chefs Association she is by far the youngest director to date, following in the steps of icons such as Dr. Bill Gallagher who has mentored Jodi-Ann throughout her career.

This has given Jodi-Ann a huge opportunity to network with an unbelievable number of chefs both locally and internationally.

Continuously climbing up a ladder of greater and bigger goals is what drives Jodi-Ann. Her goal is to be the face of cooking in Africa and be in a position to change lives by instilling principles of mental and physical wellbeing and safety into people and thereby creating a safer, more effective and more productive environment within which to function.