2012 Championship Boerewors Winner Announced

Ten experts battled it out in the blistering heat, with their special boerewors sizzling over perfectly prepared fires, the supportive roar of fascinated crowds urging them on, and concentration momentarily giving way to dreams of the sought-after crown - but there could only be one Champion.

And finally, after 4 months of mincing, spicing and tasting, and 3 rounds of elimination during which almost 1000 entrants were whittled down to only the top ten, the coveted title of Boerewors Champion was at long last awarded with great fanfare to Piet Nkambule at the exciting grand finale held in Sun City’s Valley of Waves on 6 October.

This truly South African event is presented by Shoprite and Checkers annually to provide all aspiring boerewors makers to show their flair for producing the tastiest traditional boerewors in the country. This national competition, now in its twentieth year, also helps the supermarket group to find a traditional boerewors recipe that will appeal to ever changing tastes of the majority of consumers in the country, and enables Shoprite Checkers to produce a quality product that reflects the value on offer in the Meat Market departments of all its supermarkets and hyper stores.

Piet (62), who hails from Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal, was crowned Boerewors King and received the grand prize of a brand-new Toyota Hilux 2.7 Double Cab Raised Body Raider. He also received a R2500 holiday voucher from All Gold, R2000 Coca Cola cash prize and R750 worth of Simba vouchers.

Piet is an old hand at the Championship Boerewors battles. He has participated in this competition 19 times. This year his persistence finally paid off and Piet was elated by his victory. “My secret to the best boerewors lies in the special ratio of pork to beef meat I include in my mixture”, says Piet who also swears by the effective use of good quality spices to deliver tasty boerewors.

The runner-up and second runner-up also did not leave empty handed. Second place was awarded to this year’s only female finalist, Mary Mkhabela from Mashishing in Mpumalanga, who won a R10 000 Holiday voucher from All Gold, R5 000 Coca Cola cash prize, and R1 500 worth of Simba vouchers. Quinton Rossouw from Kempton Park in Gauteng, took third place and received a R5 000 Holiday voucher from All Gold, a R3 000 Coca Cola cash prize and R1 000 worth of Simba vouchers.

This year the Championship Boerewors competition proved to be as popular as ever and with the vast amount of entries received it took 85 regional and 10 provincial elimination rounds, during which 400 judges from the South African Chef’s association had to taste and assess more than 55 000 pieces or raw and cooked boerewors, to eventually find only the ten best who would take on the final battle in Sun City.

At the grand finalé an independent judging panel comprising of top food experts Martin Kobald, Arnold Tanzer, Carmen Niehaus, Jenny Morris, Peter Veldsman and Lungile Nhlanhla had the challenging task of singling out one winner from this year’s selection of truly unique and outstanding finalists’ entries. Entries were initially judged in raw form, followed by a braai-off during which contestants had to prepare their own secret recipe boerewors to the best of their abilities.

Actress Brümilda van Rensburg and actor and comedian, Waldemar Shultz were compères for the day and entertained the crowds on the beach. They were joined on stage by some of South Africa’s most talented entertainers such as Sorina (“the Flooze”), Jessica Truter, Gerhard Sten, Willem Botha and Charlize Berg, with special appearances by Nataniël, Kurt Darren, Mandoza and Die Kaapse Affodille.

The other seven finalists who competed for the title and the grand prize were: Aletta Rachman, from St Francis Bay; Wiekus Vorster from Bloemfontein; Chantelle Gouws, from Vanderbijlpark; Koos van Dyk, from Polokwane; Michael Webster, from Klerksdorp; Gielie van Zyl, from Kimberley; and Cathrine Groeners, from Kranshoek in Plettenberg Bay.

Boerewors-lovers across South Africa will not have to wait too long to enjoy the supermarket group’s new traditional taste sensation as the 2012 Champion Boerewors will be available in the Meat Markets of all Shoprite, Checkers and Checkers Hyper stores countrywide as from Friday, 12 October.

The 2012 Shoprite Checkers Championship Boerewors will receive the South African Chefs Association’s Seal of Approval, ensuring that South Africa’s best loved boerewors brand is the best of the very best!