Chef Karen Blanché Joins The Swiss Hotel School as Head of Culinary Arts
Johannesburg, South Africa —7th October 2025
The Swiss Hotel School South Africa proudly announces the appointment of Chef Karen Blanché as its new Head of Culinary Arts. Chef Blanché brings a wealth of experience from both professional kitchens and culinary education and further strengthens an already exceptional faculty at the School.
A Leader in Culinary Excellence
Chef Blanché is a highly regarded culinary professional with extensive industry and teaching credentials. Her appointment adds strategic depth to The Swiss Hotel School’s culinary programme reinforcing it’s reputation for excellence, innovation, and leadership in South African culinary education.
A Powerhouse Culinary Team
Chef Blanché joins a distinguished team of culinary experts at The Swiss Hotel School:
- Chef Edward Clegg – a two-time Culinary Olympic Chef with international competition experience and a deep passion for developing young talent.
- Chef Jean-Pierre Siegenthaler – a master craftsman with decades of European and South African fine dining experience. He is known for his precision and discipline in classical technique.
- Chef Donald Wilson – a talented and dynamic young chef whose modern approach and creative energy. He represents the next generation of culinary leadership.
Raising the Bar in Culinary Education
Together, this powerhouse team brings an exceptional blend of experience, creativity, and technical skill. Their combined expertise delivers a learning environment that balances traditional foundations with contemporary culinary thinking.
Students benefit directly from the chefs’ extensive industry networks and competition experience. They also gain real-world insights — producing confident, skilled graduates who are ready to excel in professional kitchens worldwide.
Shaping the Future of Culinary Arts in South Africa
With this strengthened faculty, The Swiss Hotel School continues to set the standard for culinary education in South Africa. It prepares the next generation of chefs who will define the future of the country’s hospitality industry.
Stephen is a hospitality professional from Johannesburg South Africa. His career started with THF hotels in the UK and subsequently with the Southern Sun Hotel group in Johannesburg. Stephen’s first steps into entrepreneurship was Hickmore Recruitment / CareerMap, a leading supplier of Senior and Exec recruitment services. Stephen was a founder of Pple Hospitality (formerly HSC) the largest Hospitality Industry full-service outsourced staffing company in South Africa. In March 2020 Stephen became a director and owner of the Swiss Hotel School South Africa, which is now his full time passion.
SHS – Institute of Hospitality Management
SHS – Institute of Culinary Arts
Stephen writes for a number of publications on food and hospitality industry matters, trends and opinions. He also hosts a Podcast on Spotify “Hospitality Insight with The SilverFox”
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