South Africa’s ultimate braai masters have received their ultimate car from Suzuki Auto South Africa: a Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4i Summit valued at R442 900.
Team Salty Flames, which comprises braai master Chanel Marais and partner Nick Perfect, beat nine other teams to win the coveted title of Ultimate Braai Master in South Africa’s favourite cooking show. As a reward, they take home a brand-new Suzuki Grand Vitara and other prizes valued at over R1 million in total.
“We could not have hoped for a better prize,” says Marais, who recently returned to South Africa after working abroad and travelling in over 55 countries. “Not only is the Grand Vitara the perfect car for a couple with wanderlust, but it will be the perfect tow vehicle for our new food truck.”
Marais and Perfect are busy building a food truck in Cape Town, from which they will serve a wide selection of smoked foods. They also hope to travel through South Africa and visit more of the remote parts that are regularly showcased on the Ultimate Braai Master TV show on etv.
Says Marais: “Nick and I have seen a great deal of Europe, the Americas and Asia, but very little of the country of our birth. I felt so privileged to be part of this show and to experience the raw beauty of the Eastern Cape. I can say, without fear of contradiction, that South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries that I have ever seen.”
South Africa’s most popular cooking show
The Ultimate Braai Master enters its sixth season as the most popular cooking show in South Africa. The show’s unique mix of reality television and gourmet cooking in some of the country’s most scenic and remote destinations has endeared it to over 1.5 million regular viewers, with many more on the syndicated repeat shows on the Travel Channel.
“We want to achieve three things with the show,” says Peter Gird, the executive producer of the show. “We wanted to create the toughest cooking show of its kind, show some of the amazing places that are right on our doorstep and give participants an experience that they will never forget. Using the Grand Vitara as our production and prize vehicles certainly helps with that.”
The Grand Vitara is available from R369 900 and is still one of the most affordable family-focused off-road vehicles that are equipped with low range and a rugged ladder frame chassis. The Grand Vitara 2.4i Summit, which was handed to Team Salty Flame, offers additional luxury features such as keyless access, Bluetooth, cruise control and hill ascent control, to name but a few and is available at R442 900 with a 6-year / 90 000 km service plan.
A unique prize-giving event
As the Ultimate Braai Master is not a regular cooking show, the prize-giving event was equally unique. Team Salty Flames travelled to Suzuki South Africa’s head office to collect their vehicle and decided to convert the event into an outdoor braai for staff, journalists and the TV production team.
“New viewers of the show often expect a simple braai show in remote destinations. We quickly show them how you can create even haute cuisine on an outdoor fire, you simply need some talent, a couple of coals and a lot of creativity,” says Justin Bonello, the famous outdoor cook and main host of the Ultimate Braai Master.
Marais agrees: “In my childhood home, the kitchen was the heart of the home and the hub of all activity. I feel that the braai has a similar role in South African homes, and through our cooking I wanted to show how we could create delightful food in this familiar setting.”
“Justin, Peter, the other judges, Peter Goffe-Wood and Benny Masekwameng, as well as the entire production team personify our company ethos,” says André Venter, the divisional manager for sales and marketing at Suzuki South Africa. “Like our range of SUVs and off-road vehicles, this show makes the outdoors accessible for every South African and invites them to experience this magical place we call home.”
Text and photos: Supplied