Cyrus Todiwala has always been a favourite chef at food shows in the UK – not just for his culinary skills but the knowledge he passes on to both chefs and consumers.

This year he took his talents to the Good Food & Wine Show in Durban where he and a team of chefs flew the flag for Britain and India.

The team consisting of Todiwala, Reza Mohammad, Mike Robinson and Arthur Potts Dawson from the UK, along with a host of other chefs from South Africa, helped make the show a success.

Described as “southern Africa’s finest culinary expo” it attracts gourmets and a host of international celebrity chefs. The show, which has been very popular in Cape Town and Johannesburg, made its debut in Durban last year and was set for a second good run.

The usual face of all three shows has been UK chef Brian Turner, who didn’t make it this year. However Todiwala says the UK team had a real crowd puller in Reza Mohammad from The Star of India in London who has now become a real celebrity in Durban.

Todiwala says: “Having been to Cape Town before and knowing how good and well organised these shows are, I knew more or less what to expect. However Durban blew me away with its warmth, its hugely enthusiastic public and its overwhelming foodie enthusiasts.

“In short the show was a huge success and sitting at the helm of it all is Christine Cashmore of Gourmetsa, who runs the company along with her daughter and very efficiently too I have to add. They have a great team totally dedicated that makes consumer shows like these something to look forward to for their customers.

“Chefs like us get very good coverage and with that comes a certain celebrity status which the crowd simply love and lap up. A huge difference from the UK where the super celebs remain super celebs and for the rest it remains most often a closed enclosure where other chefs and talents do not get any opportunity to surface or show off their skills, or get the publicity and exposure they deserve.”

He says the show is kept interesting by Christine and “her gang” and the variety of food and drink and demo activity is a completely new experience, with at least six to eight cookery demonstration areas, plus further demos around them from food showcases to classes for coffee making, drinks mixing and cocktail classes.

“Personally I had a thoroughly good time and was overwhelmed by the crowds and their enthusiasm and interest in all that I did. The pressure too is on and at times you feel totally exhausted as I did on one day when I had eight back to back sessions from demos to hands on classes, and by the time evening arrived a massage was the only refuge I was seeking.”

But it’s the South African people that one begins to get a deep respect for, with their friendliness and their amazing love for food and knowledge. “You cannot help but get friendly to the crowds and the affection poured out for what little you can give them is unthinkable here in the UK.

“Durban has a huge ex-pat Indian community some fifth, sixth generation or more, but their affinity is immense and their South Africanisation is wondrous for someone like me to see. I do not eat beef but I eat kudu, venison and buffalo and other game but not rabbit, but these ex-pats have evolved very well while still adhering to their cultural background.”

Todiwala says at the end of their stint in Durban, the team was rewarded by a three night stay at ‘Thanda’, a private game reserve three and a half hours drive out of Durban. “You need to research Thanda to understand where I am coming from. This place is a dream resort with fabulous facilities and yet as wild as you want it to be.

It is most definitely a gem in the heart of wild land and an absolute asset to the world of the hospitality industry.

“In one 11,000 hectare piece of land you are at once in tune with nature in all its glory and, on the other, with absolute five star luxury. This is an intelligent and well thought of respite from urban life created with love and affection for the most important person there – you.

“The staff stick true to the ethos of the name ‘Thanda’ which in Zulu means love, and are ever ready to please and serve you to the best of their ability. It took me back to the Goa of old when everyone there dwelt on friendly and first class service with total dedication to the needs of the customer. Nothing is too much and there is no rushing around; it’s all done so that you realise that you are on a break and winding down is the key. I would recommend my industry colleagues to experience this for themselves just so I do not go on and on about it.”

He says that as with other shows in South Africa, the Swiss are the sponsors and chefs are whisked away in their business class luxury via Swiss International Air Lines.

“The service, food and efficiency all round is well worth the 13-15 hour journey back and forth and everything is carried out with typical Swiss efficiency. Watch out for Zurich airport authorities though – tough and uncompromising and, once again with the Swiss style of operation, they will do what they have to do and how they wish to do it and if you are trying hard to run from one end to the other wanting some special treatment to get to your gate in time, you just wait your turn.

“As always I often yearn to come back to Britain after a while knowing full well that pretty soon after landing all the great memories will become a blur as soon as you touch home soil and think of work. But would I have it any other way scurrying about frantically from pillar to post trying desperately hard to get on top of my work? Probably not.”

• For further information about Cyrus Todiwala, chef owner of Café Spice Namasté in London, visit www.cafespice.co.uk