KAI SA Congratulates world-renowned Reuben Riffel Celebrity Chef & Restauranteer,
who was featured in the The Wall Street Journal New York
this past weekend, pictured here in action with his favourite KAI Premier Chefs Knives
photo by Inge Prins)
Kitchen Cowboy Pete Goffe-Wood AKA MasterChef SA Judge is the new brand ambassador for KAI Vintage Series
professional Chefs Knives launched at the Cape Town Good Food & Wine Show this past weekend.
Go on, Cook Like a Master…
The New KAI Vintage Series combines classic styling with cutting edge performance. With three layers of
59 +_1 HRC high-grade Japanese steel, pakkawood water-resistant handle & stylish 3 rivets, with a fully-forged
tang to the end of the handle.
Michel Bras the Internationaly acclaimed Michelin 3 Star Chef recently met Richard Lewis of KAI SA / NeoGroup in Germany at the launch of the award-winning range of Michel Bras KAI Kitchen Tools & Accessories. In 2012, KAI SA plans to identify & reach agreement of the South African premier stockist of the Michel Bras KAI range of Chefs Knives & Accessories. Look out for this exciting new development for South Africa.
KAI South Africa & local culinary hero Jeremy Jeremey Freemantle of African Relish were first introduced following a recent visit to Germany’s Eat N Style-Cologne together with Celebrity Chef Reuben Riffelpromoting South Africa as an exciting tourism destination & showcasing our cuisine and culinary heritage.
KAI SA has sponsored Chefs Knives at the African Relish Culinary Studioin Prince Albert in the Karoo, which will also include an upliftment programme through the African Relish Culinary Cadets in 2012. Read more about KAI in the Karoo during the year ahead.
KAI South Africa is please to announce the sponsorship of well known South African celebrity chef [Reuben Riffel(http://reubens.co.za) who was recently visted at his restuarant Reuben’s in Franschhoek by the KAI Europe Team. Rueben paid KAI a visit a week later at the Eat-n-Stle Cologne Germany where he was promoted South African cooking.
Gordon Ramsay & internationally renowned Master Chefs were once again sponsored by KAI SA at this year Good Food & Wine Show Johanneburg demontrating to record visitors the cabability & high performance of KAI’s premium SHUN Damascus Range of chefs knives. As seen in their live demonstrations across the Chefs in Action Theatre & BBC Lifestyle Theatre across all four days of the show.
GORDON RAMSAY & KAI SHUN once again take centre stage at the Action Theatre at this year Good Food & Wine Show in Johannesburg 22-25 September 2011. last year Gordon Ramsay loved his KAI Shun damascus knives so much that KAI SA delivered a set for his own personal use to London. We are all looking forward to another exciting show with Gordon Ramsay & KAI Shun in Johannesburg.
The KAI SA team recently travelled to New York, London & Paris to see the World of KAI, and were highly impressed to find the KAI Brand presented in all of the World’s prestigious retailers a few examples included:
KAI London - Shop-in-shop at Harrods, London - in what could be the largest selection of premium chefs knives in the world.
KAI New York - shop-in-shop at Williams-Sanoma Flagship Store, New York, Columbus Circle.
KAI Paris - display at Forge de Laguiole Boutique, Village of Laguiole, France (573km South of Paris to be exact)
This is this first is an exciting series of global eye-wittness reports to South Africa’s Cutting Edge Followers about the World of KAI & KAI in the World.
Heston Blumenthal Culinary Alchemist
Chris Erasmus Executive Chef of Pierneef à La Motte Restaurant has been prudly sponsored by KAI South Africa as part of its continued committment to support culinary excellence in SA.
Situated in the beautiful Franschhoek Valley in South Africa’s Cape winelands, La Motte Wine Estate is home to some of South Africa’s finest wines, recognized internationally for their exceptional quality.
The name of this new restaurant was inspired by the artistic creativity of Jacob Hendrik Pierneef (1886 – 1957).
Pierneef’s creativity in portraying the beauty of the South African landscape and architecture is depicted by this restaurant’s creativity in offering traditional cuisine inspired by centuries of creativity in cooking – referred to as Cape Winelands Cuisine. Unique food styles and a variety of flavours are served seamlessly together to create a fresh culinary experience.
NeoGroup SA will donate R50 from every KAI customer purchase from our on-line website kaishun.co.za to support the Japan Earthquake Relief efforts on the ground through the THE RED CROSS SOCIETY of JAPAN for the rest of the 2011 year.
Find out more - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with 186 member National Societies. Their work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.
Dear valued customers and partners,
We sincerely appreciate your concern about victim and damage at Kai and all kind messages. There was no serious damage to our employees and facilities.
It was the largest earthquake in Japanese history with M 9.0 and the epicenter was about 350 kilometers of North West of Tokyo and 700 kilometers from our manufacturing site Seki.
We offer our deepest condolence to people died and express our sympathies to people suffered and evacuated in this earthquake and will be careful with afterquake and other influences. We will do what we can do to help this situation.
Thank you for your cooperation and partnership.
Sincerely,
Koji Endo
President and CEO of Kai Group
Japan, March 2011
KAI SA Proudly Sponsored the South African Chefs Association at this years HOSTEX 2011 at the Sandton International Convention Centre. HOSTEX continued its success as the largest hospitality & catering show in Africa. SACA Chefs demonstrated our Wasabi Range capability highly suitable for hospitality kitchens & food service.
Wasabi Black is the entry series from KAI Japan – polished blade, black handle: these Japanese designed knives feature a stainless steel polished blade with a hardness of 58 ± 1 HRC that lend your kitchen the unmistakable Far Eastern flair.
The handle has been developed for the Wasabi series that offers the optimum hygiene thanks to the special combination of bamboo powder and polypropylene – assisted by the natural anti-bacterial properties of the bamboo parts.
In contrast to the traditional Japanese wood handle the black handle is not inserted but embraces the blade completely. Thus the blade is closely connected to the handle, not allowing dirt to settle in any gaps – making the knives highly suitable for hospitality kitchens & food service.
KAI South Africa is proud to announce its sponsorship of the South African Chefs Academy
Directed by Garth Strobel & Paul Hartmann, the SA Chefs Academy produces many of South Africa’s leading hotel & restaurant chefs on an annual basis.
It is against this background that KAI South Africa is forging new levels of cutting edge followers who will push KAI Chefs knives & accessories to the limit as they deliver food service excellence in South Africa & beyond.
KAI Shun Chef’s Knives sponsored this year’s Durban Summer Good Food & Wine Show®, South Africa’s finest food, beverage and lifestyle exhibition.
International celebrity chefs included Eric Lanlard, Atul Kochhar, first Indian Chef to receive a Michelin star, Tobie Puttock, author and award-winning Australian chef and owner of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant in Melbourne, Reza Mahammad, Indian cuisine expert and owner of the Star of India restaurant.
Consumers were shown KAI’s cutting edge capability on KAI Shun Damascus & KAI Wasabi ranges in live interactive demonstrations by Celebrity Chef’s at the Main Arena & BBC Woolworths Get Fresh Contestant Arena for the entire show.
KAI Shun SA is a proud sponsor of Luke Dale-Roberts & Team at his new restaurant
The Test Kitchen at Cape Town’s Old Biscuit Mill.
See Luke & His Team of expert Chef’s in action with KAI Shun live in action in his open-concept kitchen.
International Celebrity TV Chefs James Martin, Giorgio Locatelli, Eric Lanlard & Willie Harcourt-Cooze were once again sponsored by KAI Shun Chef’s Knives whilst appearing at this years Gauteng Good Food & Wine Show, South Africa premier Gourmet Food & Wine calendar evennt.
As the Official Chef’s Knife Sponsor, KAI Shun SA had over 40 KAI Shun Damascus & Wasabi blades in action across the Main Arena, BBC Woolworths Get Fresh & Outdoor Theatres of Cooking for the entire show. Impressing Celebrity Chef’s, contestants & consumers alike with KAI’s cutting edge capability & good looks second to none. Creating more & more Cutting Edge Followers of KAI in South Africa.
BBC Woolworths Get Fresh Theatre & KAI Wasabi Chefs Knives in action by all Contestants & Celebrity Chefs.
International Celebrity TV Chef Giorgio Locatteli gave live demontration of the capabilities of our KAI Shun Damascus blades at all his appearances at this year Good Food & Wine Show Gauteng. Seen in the picture with Peter of the KAI Shun Team SA & visiting the KAI Shun Show Stand to learn & see more about KAI Shun.
Please watch our for all celebirity chef live appearances on the upcoming Top Billing TV Shows featuring the event. We proudly celebrate another KAI Shun Cutting Edge Celebirity Follower in SA.
Willie Harcourt-Cooze the BBC Celebrity Chef famous for his Willie’s World Class Cacao Chocolate Show is presented with the KAI Shun Damascus Mezza Luna Set by Neogroup SA’s Richard Lewis, at this year Gauteng Good Food & Wine Show.
Our top-of-the-range Damascus blade Mezza Luna effortlessly chops & dices through the most indulgent ingredients added to Willie’s famous Single-origin South American Cacao products. We are pleased to add yet another celebrity Cutting Edge Follower of KAI Shun Damascus Chefs Knives.
KAI Shun SA is pleased to announce Mr Richard Steyn as their very first KAI SHUN PREMIER Customer in South Africa to proudly own one of our Limited Edition Knives, launched at this year Good Food & Wine Show Gauteng.
KAI’s new Shun Premier Series combines KAI’s famous Damascus layered knives with a hand-hammered surface, which in Japan is known as Tsuchime, thus combining timeless aesthetic qualities with ultimate sharpness aswell as reducing drag when cutting, preventing food from sticking to the blade. The ergonomicaly shaped handle of brown walnut fits comfortably in the hand and is suitable for both right-handed and left-handed use.
Handcrafted by expert master forgers of Seki City, Japan. Shun Premier chef’s knife features corrosion-resistant 32-layer damask steel. The inner layer consists of VG-10 steel and, with a hardness of 61±1 HRC, is exceptionally hard. The grinding process perfected by Kai provides the knife with the sharpness that is typical for Shun.
In fact, we had such a great response to the Limited Edition launch we have ordered more from Japan to ensure enough is available for SA Customer as we go into the Christmas Season as the most wanted Gift Item of the visitors at KAI SA Show Stand.
The KAI Japan Brand was exhibited for the first time at this years DECOREX Gauteng, the Leading Consumer Lifestyle Exhibition in South Africa & was received with great response & enthusiam. Over 50 000 visitors & buyers where introduced to KAI Brand over the 5 days of this premium Consumer South African Lifestyle Show.
NEOGROUPExclusive Distributors of KAI Japan’s Premium Range of Chefs Knives and Accessories in SA, spent the 5 days educating key consumers about the KAI Brand’s features & benefits as well as directing them to stockists in Gauteng. DECOREX Shows will remain a key event in our calendar going forward across the Country for KAI Japan Brand brought to you exclusively by Neogroup - Merchants of Fine Products.
Gordon Ramsay’s a Cutting Edge Follower of KAI Shun Damascus Chefs Knives as he cooked to capacity South African fans in his 2010 World Cup SA Soccer Kit at this year Cape Town Good Food & Wine Show, CTICC.
Gordon Ramsay enjoyed his KAI Shun South Africa experience so much, that after the show, he asked Richard Lewis, MD Neogroup SA to “send me a full set to London, these knives are really great” creating yet another world class Cutting Edge Follower of KAI Shun Brand.
We told Gordon Ramsay after the show, that his international chef’s team at his MAZE by Gordon Ramsay @ The One&Only V&A Waterfront including Executive Chef Phil Carmichael are already Cutting Edge Followers of the KAI Shun Brand & regular customers of KAI Shun in SA.
KAI Shun SA is proud to announce the that Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay will be cooking with our KAI Shun Damascus series Chefs knives at the Chefs Live Theatre of the Good Food & Wine Show® Cape Town from 13-16 May 2010 CTICC.
Over 55000 Food lovers & Cutting Edge Followers from all over the country are expected to flock to this year’s Good Food & Wine Show® Cape Town see Gordon Ramsay, Mr Hell’s Kitchen, in action at the Show & on Top Billing TV Show there after. visit www.gourmetsa.com for further details.
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KAI SA has sponsored the Chefs Knives & Accessories at all 10 Get Fresh with BBC Live workstations with its
popular KAI Wasabi series below & state-of-the-art KAI Shun Damascus Chefs Knives to be demonstrated by the Celebrity Chefs.
This Season Good Food and Wine Show® has teamed up with BBC Lifestyle to present an interactive theatre with the focus on FRESH. These hands-on workshops are conducted by the world’s leading chefs, joined by our finest South African chefs and celebrities.
This is a unique opportunity to cook alongside BBC Food Chefs who regularly appear on the *BBC Lifestyle Channel and top South African Chefs. The Cape Winter Good Food and Wine Show®Show is on 13-16 May 2010 at the CTICC & again in Gauteng Spring Show from 23-26 September 2010.
KAI SA is proud to announce its association with Executive Chef Andrew Atkinson, of The Michelangelo Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton Johannesburg.
Andrew Atkinson, the talented left-handed leading SA Chef, was presented with a full set of specialy made left-handed KAI Shun Damascus Knives by Richard Lewis, of Neogroup, the exclusive importer & distributor for KAI Shun Chefs Knives & Accessories for Southern Africa.
Andrew Atkinson is presented with KAI Shun Damascus Left Handed Knives by Richard Lewis of Neogroup SA, exclusive importers & national distributors of KAI Chefs Knives in Southern Africa.
KAI Japan has extended its extensive Shun chef’s knife series by 3 blades specifically for left-handers. The knives only differ by the chestnut-shaped handle that has been adapted for left-handed use.
Left-handed aysymetrical ‘one-sided’ blades are also available in 3 shapes in the Shun Pro series - Deba, Nakiri & Yanagiba.