Cooked in Africa launches Ultimate Braai Master

Sponsored by Pick n Pay, and supported by Coca-Cola and Renault, the programme will see Bonello host 15 teams of two contestants each on a gruelling 52-day extreme-cuisine cooking competition that will include an 8 000km road trip and showcase the beauty, diversity, unique flavours and local delicacies that characterise some of South Africa's best off-the-beaten track locations.

Being South African is being outdoors

Says Bronwen Rohland, Pick n Pay's marketing and sustainability director: "A large part of being South African is about being outdoors with friends and family enjoying a braai, and the Pick n Pay brand has been about supporting and celebrating the things that make us unique as South Africans. Partnering with Cooked in Africa Films to find the Ultimate Braai Master speaks directly to who we are as the country's quintessential South African food retailer, and we're looking forward to what will undoubtedly be an incredible journey."

Developed by Quirk, aspirant Braai Masters must enter online - www.ultimatebraaimaster.com. - by no later than Monday, 27 April. Short-listed entrants selected from the online entries will be put through their paces at three regional auditions in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg in May, where Justin, together with Ultimate Braai Master judges, will select the final 15 teams.

Contestants will catch their food

"We're in the business of original production, and have always prided ourselves on our ability to transform fresh ideas into thought-provoking entertainment for TV that has global appeal, high production value, great stories and social media legs. With our digital and media partners, Quirk, Sunday Times, Metrofm, and SABC 3, Ultimate Braai Master has the power to resonate with audiences across all race, age and gender groups, whilst offering a powerful multi-dimensional branding platform across digital, electronic, print and experiential channels," says Bonello.

"With a prize package combining R500 000 cash, a new Renault Koleos 4x4, and the title of South Africa's Ultimate Braai Master, the competition is pitched at contestants who can hold their own outside of a kitchen," comments Bonello. "Teams that get selected to participate in the competition will be expected to occasionally catch their own food and cook to a standard of culinary excellence that will raise the bar on the kinds of meals that can be produced on an open fire. The intention is to reinvent and showcase the best braai-inspired dishes ever seen in a reality TV Series."

Filming will start in July with the winning team announced in the final episode of Ultimate Braai Master, which will be screened on SABC 3 on 6 December 2012.