The competition was tough but Wessel de Lange was crowned winner of the annual Battle of the Braai at Capegate Shopping Centre, on Saturday.
De Lange’s signature dish was a balsamic beef fillet with bone marrow, coleslaw and asparagus wrapped in prosciutto ham.
De Lange said he enjoyed preparing for the competition. “There was great energy in the room and all the competitors were great too.“
“I have a passion for cooking and my dream is to open a restaurant,” he added.
“Winning this competition is a stepping stone that takes me one step closer to my dream.”
Judge Clement Pedro, who is a chef and media personality, said he was expecting to see a lot of creativity and innovation around the braai and he wasn’t disappointed.
“There was a lot of fun and excitement for the day but the difficulty came in eliminating contestants,” he said.
“The energy and vibe was amazing and enough to chase the cloudy skies away,” he added.
Pedro said it’s clear that all 10 contestants spent time preparing and perfecting their dishes.
“This was evident from round one to round three. I expected nothing but pure braai masterpieces from the finalists,” he said.
Second place winner Randall Maarman prepared his own version of a surf and turf which consisted of a T-bone steak, paprika prawn, hasselback potatoes with truffle oil and Parmesan cheese and a side salad.
Maarman said he really enjoyed the experience but was aiming for first place.
“I’m a private chef and I always invest back into my business. This gave me invaluable experience and I need to carry on,” he said.
Marilyn Davids, who came third, prepared a beef fillet with pineapple chilli glaze and a pineapple coriander salad.
“I love challenges. I do grazing boxes and catering as well. I hope this will give my business, Grazing with M, a boost. I came for the fun and experience, coming third is a bonus,” she added.
Cape Argus assistant editor Quinton Mtyala said all the dishes were high quality.
“The dishes were exceptional and the pressure was intense,” he said.
“As the competition progressed, the contestants levelled up and they’ve all been top notch,” he added.