With Women’s Month rapidly drawing to a close this week, this mom of two has proven that females are just as good, if not better, than men at handling the braai tongs.
Yvonne Blaauw, 47, from Wellington, has been crowned the best boerewors maker in South Africa.
The grand finale of the 26th Championship Boerewors competition was held Wednesday at The Cartel Rooftop where Yvonne came out tops.
After entering the competition five times over 20 years, Yvonne burst into tears when her name was called out at the kwaai ceremony.
Yvonne’s winning boerewors will be available in all Shoprite and Checkers outlets nationwide from 14 September, just in time for Heritage Day aka National Braai Day.
“I have been perfecting my boerewors recipe for as long as I can remember, so to know that it is the very best in the country is just incredible!” said the excited butchery manager.
HANDY: Yvonne, 47, manages a butchery. Photo: ARMAND HOUGH /AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY (ANA)
“I have been trying to reach the finals for so long and I didn’t expect to win the actual competition, but just set my sights on the final. En nou ry ek huistoe met my bakkie!”
Along with the sought-after title of SA’s No.1 Boerewors Champion, Yvonne received a brand new Toyota Hilux DC 2.8 GD-6 Raised Body Raider worth over R500 000.
EN DIE WENNER IS: This is how our Boerie Queen was crowned. Video: Supplied
Second and third places went to Jean Drotsky from Pretoria and Bobby Hassen from Randgate.
The top three each received gift hampers from Coca-Cola and Wellington’s, as well as Shoprite and Checkers gift vouchers.
The top 10 finalists of the 2018 Championship Boerewors competition competed at a ‘Braai in the Sky’ where they impressed a panel of culinary experts from the South African Chefs Association (Saca), including James Khoza, Martin Kobald, Carmen Niehaus, Pete Goffe-Wood, Jenny Morris and Reuben Riffel.
Also present was ex-Springbok and boerewors lover Bakkies Botha, who said: “Everybody says rugby brings people together, but I always say boerewors brings people together. To me it represents passion, culture and tradition.”