Alberton mom is the proud winner of ‘Colour Your Plate with Koo’

Alberton food enthusiast, mother of two and wife, Karen van der Merwe, has been crowned the winner of Colour Your Plate with Koo season two and Mzansi's newest “Kooking” star.  

Her culinary skills won the hearts and palates of judges week after week, and Van der Merwe took first prize during an exciting season finale on November 29 2022. 

She walks away with: R75,000 in cash, a Koo hamper, Le Creuset homeware items, a nutri-bullet, an Instant Pot air-fryer, a KitchenAid thermomixer and the opportunity to be mentored by internationally acclaimed chef Reuben Riffel to sharpen her culinary skills.

This season of Colour Your Plate with Koo had 700,000 viewers tuned in to cheer for their favourites and learn about adding colour to their plates for balanced and nutritious meals — courtesy of Koo canned and jarred goods. 

Van der Merwe's culinary skills were unmatched all season, with fun, bright and innovative dishes that left the judges and celebrity guest judges wanting more. Her creativity and culinary prowess is what stood out in the competition. 

“I am elated to be crowned the winner of Colour Your Plate season two; this journey has been an incredible experience. As much as this was a competition, we were united by our diverse, yet uniform, love for food which has been a defining factor in our country’s cultural history.

“Koo has been a part of my life and heritage for generations. Being given a platform to showcase my skills using products I grew up enjoying, and adding new and exciting weapons in my arsenal to prepare staple dishes, is something I am most proud of. I hope it inspires the next generation of kitchen enthusiasts to be relentless in the pursuit of following their passion and chasing their dreams,” says Van der Merwe. 

Each week’s challenges pushed the contestants to think outside the box and create exciting and innovative dishes using Koo ingredients. This resulted in unorthodox savoury servings such as Koo pilchard tempuras and samp and beans pasta, to sweet treats such as pineapple tarts and corn custard.

The judges, chef Riffel and nutritionist Arthur Ramoroka, together with a slew of celebrity guest judges, were impressed by the contestant’s culinary artistry. Viewers were left inspired to incorporate fruit and vegetables into their daily meals, while parents were introduced to fresh and fun ways of getting their children to eat veggies, cementing Koo’s nutritional value for the whole family. 

“We are proud of the Colour Your Plate with Koo season two winner, Karen van der Merwe, who showcased her impeccable culinary skills throughout the season. Her win, and the participation of the other talented contestants, entrenched Koo’s mandate of educating SA households on better and healthier eating habits and highlighted the beauty of the nation’s cultural diversity through a common love of food,” says Edna Mohale-Maphita, the marketing director of Tiger Brands, which owns Koo.

“This show gave us the opportunity to unearth SA’s talented kitchen maestros, giving their skills the recognition needed to elevate their talents and expose them to a bevy of food enthusiasts who will help better their lives and achieve their dreams.”

Follow and participate in the conversation online with @Koo_Food on Twitter and @koofoodsa on Instagram. SA foodies can continue to showcase their Koo meals by using the hashtag #ColourYourPlatewithKoo. If you missed this season of the show, be sure to subscribe to Koo's YouTube channel to catch up and watch exclusive behind-the-scenes footage

This article was paid for by Koo.