Offender Chef Training
At the very core of the Bosasa work ethos is a concern for basic Human Rights. Since the company’s inception, CEO Gavin Watson has entrenched this ideal throughout every department. For this reason, Bosasa has extensive upliftment and community outreach programmes.
For many years, Bosasa has championed a human-rights-focussed approach to understanding an offender’s needs when it comes to health and diet. With the help of doctors and dieticians, the company managed to implement a three-meal system in prisons throughout South Africa. This was in answer to the Department of Correctional Services white paper which requires that three meals are to be served to offenders within four hour intervals every day. These meals provide a variety of foods, which help to ensure that the inmates are healthy.
Following on from this, one of the current leading programmes run by Bosasa focuses on offender rehabilitation and assisting them in bettering themselves. Willing and deserving offenders are trained as chefs and provided with skills that they can use to get a job, once rehabilitated.
In order to run this programme to maximum affect, Bosasa aligned itself with a chef school – Stephen Billingham’s HTA School of Culinary Art – which focuses on practical knowledge over theory.
Under the direction of Stephen Billingham, an established figure in the local hospitality industry, HTA has received numerous accolades:
- It recently received the 'Recognition of Quality Culinary Education Award' bestowed by the World Association of Chef Societies (WACS). It’s the first school in South Africa to achieve such an accolade.
- HTA has been training chefs in partnership with the South African food and beverage, as well as hospitality industries since 1994. It’s widely acknowledged for producing many of the country's most talented home-grown chefs.
How This Course Contributes to the Upliftment of Offenders
The HTA School of Culinary Art provides fundamental, core and vocational skills, which are required in order to excel in the food industry. As part of our prisoner rehabilitation programme, each student will walk away with the following:
- A widely recognised qualification – They will graduate from the Diploma Programme in Food Preparation and Culinary Art. This programme was designed to mould the students into chefs that can successfully work in the catering industry and can bring together all the elements of food preparation, service and management.
- Strong practical knowledge – Each student is provided with a thorough theoretical knowledge of food preparation. Then they’re given plenty of opportunity to work on the practical applications. This turns the students into professional chefs, who will work in a carefully structured, planned and moderated manner.
- Plenty of job opportunities – Student’s are given the chance to gain proper working experience in top establishments. HTA has built long-standing relationships with many hotels and restaurants in Gauteng, thanks to their reputation for producing high-quality graduates.
- Networking possibilities – After completing the programme, each new chef receives a membership to the South African Chefs Association. This is a key step to improving their future by enhancing their professional standing within the industry. It also opens up plenty of networking opportunities with other professionals.
More Info
Call the Bosasa reception desk on +27 (0)11 662 6000 or email 
for more information on our offender rehabilitation and training programmes. For more information on the HTA School of Culinary Art, click here.