Preparing for National Braai Day (Heritage Day – 24th September)… or any other braai day!

 

September 24 is both Heritage Day and National Braai Day, a day to celebrate our unique culture and South Africa’s favourite pastime: the braai. This was the perfect opportunity for butcheries to provide their customers with something out of the ordinary to boost their morale and sales!

 

The local butcher can create and benefit from a striking National Braai Day display involving fold-up and box braais for travelling braaiers, wood and charcoal to include accessories that might not always be on top of his stock list, namely tongs, oven mitts and aprons with catchy braai phrases.

Braai Tongs are an important must have for all braaiers. There are many different types to choose from like LK’s, Megamaster Heavy Duty Tongs, Weber Original Tongs and Tonglite Champ BBQ Tongs to mention but a few.

In addition to charcoal, make sure you stock good dry hardwood stored away from cold, damp areas. Using wood ensures a prolonged braai pleasure and a different flavour imparted to braai meat, and every consumer knows how frustrating it is when the kindle gets going and the wood simply sizzles and oozes tiny yellow bubbles announcing its wetness.

Different types of wood are used and some of the more popular types that are used are Rooikrans, Sekelbos, Kameeldoring, Bluegum and Black Wattle.

Firelighters, Charcoal and Briquettes –

Firelighters are indispensable for those opting to braai with charcoal, and there are environmentally and human-friendly products to choose from like Blitz, Ignite, Lion Match Products, Charka, Safari Braai Products, Etosha, Braai Star and Bic to mention but a few.

Safari Braai Products – Safari provides a wide range of quality braai and barbeque merchandise from Firelighters, Charcoal, Briquettes, Firewood, Spices, Braai Equipment, and Outdoor related products. In 2021 we introduce our GREEN firelighter called Bio-lites to the market.

Bio-lites are infused with charcoal dust produced from alien trees and invader bush species giving it a ‘Better Burn’. This process makes our product one of the ‘Greenest’ firelighters on the market and we are proud to be the first company successfully producing a commercial firelighter product from plastic waste.

Safari products are distributed through our own dedicated distribution facility in the Southern Cape region.

The rest of the country is serviced by authorized distributors and agents, in order to deliver to the consumer market.

Safari is the leading household brand name in the Southern & Eastern Cape region, in braaiing and outdoor lifestyle, and we are proud to provide top quality products to the consumer market, re-uniting friends and family around fires!

Etosha – is South Africa’s leading manufacturer and supplier of premium-quality charcoal.

Although we export our charcoal products worldwide, our roots are firmly in Namibia and South Africa. We’ve been able to build a business that not only allows people to experience the pleasure of cooking on coals, but also gives back to the environment.

We’re clearing it as fast as we can, but we estimate that it will take another fifty years before the problem is solved. In the meantime, we use it to create our Etosha Triquettes, Etosha Briquettes and Etosha Charcoal. Look for our products at supermarkets, convenience stores and butchers across South Africa and beyond.

 Lion Match Products – For over 117 years, we have provided some of the most loved and memorable brands that are now entrenched in the homes and hearts of South Africans.

From our iconic Lion Safety Matches, Lion Firelighters and Lion Strikers we continue to radiate the South African heritage and spirit that our consumers have come to know and love.

LION FIRELIGHTERS – During braai season, the only firelighter to have sitting next to the charcoal and braai tongs on your shelf is Lion Firelighters. These long-lasting, easy-lighting firelighters come in a resealable bag – keeping them fresher for longer. Now that is innovation!

LION STRIKERS – Strikes like a match, burns like a firelighter! With Lion Strikers, our South African consumers can now light a fire with ease — no mess, no fuss — giving you another quality, reliable product straight from the heart of Lion Match Products itself.

LION SAFETY MATCHES – As a staple in South African homes, Lion Safety Matches are the first choice in the market. We have enjoyed lighting the lives of the nation in ways both big and small with our quality, reliable safety matches that were first ignited over 117 years ago.

Ignite have been producing specialised quality braai products since 1988. Their wide range of charcoal products includes Chunky Hardwood charcoal. They also have an easy, convenient instant lighting charcoal and briquettes as well as picnic and party size disposable braais and firelighters.

Wherever you are and whatever the occasion, Ignite products are there to kickstart every moment. Whether you prefer fuelling your fire with long lasting briquettes or chunky hardwood charcoal or maybe you enjoy something a little more convenient such as our instant light briquettes.

 Charka– offers a range of quality products for your next braai. From our well-known South African favourite – Charka Briketts – to our famous Instabricks (the no-mess no-fuss instant lighting briketts), we have a braai product to suit YOU!

Braai Star – Braaistar, established in 1992, manufactures a range of high quality braai products.

We specialize in providing the highest quality of briquettes, charcoal and firelighters at a competitive price for customers both locally and beyond South Africa’s borders.

In most butcheries and even supermarkets, the range of braai products lacks imagination. One usually has the choice of two types of charcoal (briquettes or chips), two brands of firelighters, which all do the same job, and standard firewood. Why not go the extra mile by providing your customers with various options to keep the home fires burning on National Braai Day and beyond?

And of course, braaiers will need a braai and many butcheries have seen the value in making these available on the premises.

The disposable braais are super convenient and easy to use – especially for picnics, braais on the beach or in the park, or simply for those who don’t want to clean their grills before getting into the festivities.

While you are adding value in this way, why not stock some tongs, aprons, seasonings and spices, marinades – especially the convenient spray bottle marinades, prepacked braai breads, some instant pap and perhaps a few bottles or cans of tomato and onion sauce, monkeygland sauce or the more spicy chakalaka to go with the pap.

Meat for the Braai –

On the meat side, your butchery should offer a wide range of meat cuts perfect for braaing. Since the meat is the main event, offer your customers the best quality meat for their braais and ensure it is aged before it is sold. Ageing the meat not only tenderizes it, but also greatly enhances its flavour. 

Boerewors is absolutely essential, but is your boerewors the very best? Offer some braaiwors as a cost-effective alternative, or a range of wors options with interesting twists on the traditional boerewors concept, for example, thin lamb wors, chakalaka wors, chilli wors or sosatie wors.

 

Lamb chops are also an absolute must, although pork chops are also perfect for the braai. Steaks are excellent for the braai, whether rump, sirloin or T-bone. Add value by cutting the steaks into ready-to-eat portions, marinating the steaks in a range of marinade flavours, or seasoning the meat so it’s ready to braai

Sosaties are also ideal for braaing and butchers can prepare beef, pork, lamb and chicken sosaties. By marinating these in an array of marinade flavours, your butchery can offer braai fanatics a wide choice to cater for every taste. You could even make veggie sosaties for the vegetarians joining the festivities.

A great way to add value to your customers is to create braai packs in various sizes and configurations. So, for example, you could have braai packs for one, two or 10 people, and different variants with say steak and chops, or boerewors and sosaties, or a chicken and wors combination.

Top tips for best braais

• Never use petrol to start your fire! Use firelighters (available at the till).
• The fire is ready once the flames have died away, the coals are white-hot, and you can hold your hand above the coals comfortably for about 5 seconds. The grill should be 10cm above the goals.
• If frozen, thaw the meat in the fridge overnight before cooking. Remove the meat from the fridge a half hour before braaing.
• If you are marinating your meat, leave it in the marinade for as long as possible, but preferable overnight. Leave the meat in the fridge while marinating.
• Cook chicken in the microwave or boil before braaing.
• Brush the meat or the grill with oil to prevent sticking.
• Cook the chicken first since it takes longer. Sausages can be kept warm, so cook them before the steaks which should be grilled last since they dry out if not served immediately.
• Braai steaks as quickly as possible without burning. Sosaties and sausages should be grilled slowly.
• Don’t add salt to the meat before or while cooking, since it dries out the meat. Season just before you take it off the coals.
• Use tongs to turn the meat – a fork will drain juices from the meat.
• Don’t turn the meat too often. Seal quickly on both sides, then allow one side to cook before turning over.
• After braaing, while the grail is still hot, rub it with half a lemon or onion to make cleaning much easier.
  Happy Braai-Day.