. Ontumetse, who was contacted unexpectedly and informed of his selection, was thrilled but couldn’t process the news immediately due to his busy work schedule. “I was pretty excited in the moment, but everything happened really, really quickly,” he said. “I did not have the moment or time to process everything that I was feeling,” he added. The competition, which will feature participants from different countries, including Uganda and Morocco, is an opportunity for Ontumetse to showcase Botswana’s unique cuisine and share his passion for cooking with a global audience. “Personally, I have always had this dream of wanting Botswana to be able to compete on the world stage, more so in culinary arts,” he said. Ontumetse’s love for cooking was inspired by her family, particularly his parents, who instilled in him a passion for food and cooking from a young age.
“I grew up around a family that loves to cook,” he said. “I’d wake up in the morning, and my dad is cooking something, my mom is cooking something,” he stated. Her culinary journey has been shaped by various mentors, including Chef Phil Key, Chef Jeremy, and Chef Andrea Granzarolo, whom he met during his university days and post-university career. “They have shaped my journey, so to say,” he said. Ontumetse’s participation in the competition is not only a personal achievement, but it is also a professional milestone, as it will help build his personal brand, Fat Cousins. “It obviously then helps with building my own personal brand,” he said.
