June 3, 2020

Cooking with the lifestyle chef – #InstagramLive

Imagined Earth in partnership with business is driving change and offering a modern convenient solution to recycling. Through their app they are also offering users rewards for recycling and educate users about recyclable packaging. We have been in the Imagined Earth community for a while now and each day we are growing our knowledge about the circular economy. We all have a role to play in our future, so ask yourself is this “how you Imagined Earth”? We were introduced to Imagined Earth through our associate Joshua Nuttall who works very closely with the team.

COVID-19 has compressed digital adoption timelines and seen the virtual world explode. Round the world, people have been staying socially connected using various tech platforms while being physically distant.

Instagram Live is one of these platforms and has helped connect people in the comfort of their own home.

Being a green tech business, Imagined Earth founder Justin Needham jumped at the opportunity when he was invited to be a guest on a live cooking show, “Cooking With”.

Victor Du Plessis is the legendary and talented chef behind ‘Cooking With’ and if you are looking for some recipe inspiration, you don’t want to miss out on this series.

In this Instagram live session – Victor and Justin will prepare a Mediterranean style chicken with warm tabbouleh. They will also chat about the circular economy (which we also discussed in one of our TED Circles host by CN&CO), packaging waste and how you can use the Imagined Earth mobile app to educate yourself about what food packaging you can recycle.

Here are the ingredients you will need for the Mediterranean style chicken with warm tabbouleh.

Below I have provided a few more details about Imagined Earth and Victor’s journey as a chef.

I hope to see you tuning in on Thursday!

A bit about Imagined Earth:

Imagined Earth is a local, green-tech and recycling business. In partnership with businesses and brands they are currently rolling out Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) that allow consumers to ‘return and earn.’ Utilising advanced shape and barcode recognition technology to identify the waste being deposited, these RVMs are programmed to accept commonly used, recyclable products, independent of where these products have been purchased, and reward consumers for their efforts.

Whilst, from a global perspective, the concept of Reverse Vending is not new, Imagined Earth is the first company to introduce RVM technology in South Africa, and the partnership with Mediterranean Delicacies, is the first direct cooperation with a brand to address post-consumer waste recovery.

Technology is one of the best tools at our disposal in the fight against plastic pollution. Intelligent packaging recovery can catapult our green mantra, and help individuals recycle the smart, engaging and educational way.

Get involved, get recycling and get rewarded today, by downloading the Imagined Earth App via your favourite app store (IOS and Google Play).

Here’s a bit more about the host, Victor Du Plessis – you can follow him @thelifestylechef on Instagram. I asked him to share his journey with us…

The way we live our lives is a conscious decision we make daily. 

An active lifestyle comes as second nature to me now, but during my early days as a young aspiring cook, life was all about burning the candle at both ends, tunnel vision on trying to get tough as nails in the kitchen. 

The buzz of the daily kitchen hustle seven days a week was exhilarating, feeding off kitchen energy, indeed a well-conducted circus, pushing through getting the job done. This life was not sustainable, at least not for me. The chap in the mirror looked like something out of ‘Dawn of the Dead’, and something had to change.

The one thing that stuck with me is hard work and perseverance along with meticulous preparation. Over the past decade, I have successfully managed to compress my passion for healthy food, active lifestyle and content creation all into one, and voila! you have The Lifestyle Chef.

Still running hard at everything and burning the candle on both ends but with more finesse, finding the rush in endurance sports such as running cycling and swimming pushing my mind and body to new limits, the never-ending racing against the clock.

During the day, I get to conceptualise and create meals that help with recovery and growth of mind and body. The Lifestyle Chef brand works with Corporate clients developing a food philosophy overview. Then I look at the menu and recipe development and do food quality reviews. This service also reaches out to private clients who share the same values and appreciation of food.

This journey has given me so many great opportunities, working with high performing individuals and groups such as the Lions rugby, Kaiser Chiefs, GIBS Business school and various other great South African brands that I’m proudly associated with.

I have a young family that requires high levels of energy and the right fuel to help keep the family motor running. I’m fortunate to combine both food and sport on my online platform, reaching viewers from all walks of life, and this is without a doubt, my happy space. I have done fun food-related video clips with my family for a hundred consecutive days as a challenge to myself, and I have built relationships through my content, developing a brand that connects with good food-loving people.

The Lifestyle Chef represents family, food, fitness and community. I’m all about experiencing sport and adventure, coupled with how one should fuel the body to perform. 

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” ― Julia Child

Join us on Thursday, the 4th of June 2020, at 6pm on Instagram (@thelifestylechef ).

For more CN&CO stories to help you grow your business and lead your best life, follow us on @cnandco.