What makes a champion boerewors?

Discover just what makes a champion boerewors that is not only loved by consumers – who consumed 5.9 tons of it just last year – but also makes a difference in the community.
For the past 25 years, Shoprite and Checkers have hosted the Championship Boerewors competition to find and present South African consumers with the country’s number one boerewors.
And there can be little doubt that South Africans love their Championship Boerewors! For the financial year ended on 30 June 2017, a total of 5,947,074 kg of Championship Boerewors was sold. That’s 10,483,646 km of boerewors – the distance between Cape Town and Bangkok – and enough (at a standard 15cm piece of boerewors) to make 69.8 million boerewors rolls.
Over the years the Championship Boerewors title has been held by South Africans from all walks of life, from housewives to butchery managers, and even by a (then) 13-year old primary school learner.
The question then is what makes a champion boerewors?
The South African Chefs Association (SACA) are in charge of the Championship Boerewors competition judging process and ensured that all entries adhere to the guidelines for making truly traditional boerewors, as recipes entered into the Championship Boerewors competition have to be for traditional boerewors.
Guidelines for making truly traditional boerewors
- Boerewors must contain at least 90 percent meat – always containing beef, as well as lamb or pork or a mixture of lamb and pork and the fat content of the meat mixture may not exceed 30 percent.
- The distinctive combinations of spices like coriander, cloves, nutmeg and black pepper as well as fluids like vinegar, water and Worcestershire sauce are what differentiates boerewors from other variants.
- Recipes may not contain: bacon, chutney, cheese, peri-peri, curry, tomato sauce, peppadews®, green pepper, parmesan, Aromat®, chilli or venison.
But there is more to a champion boerewors than great taste – it can also be a means to reach out and support local communities.
To this end, a charity angle was introduced to the Championship Boerewors winner’s announcement three years ago. The annual charity rugby match has now become a highlight on the media calendar.
This year’s exciting charity rugby match in aid of the VUSA Academy saw ex-Springbok Bakkies Botha came out of retirement to lead the ‘Braai Legends’ in a friendly touch rugby game against the ‘Braai Champs’, captained by Stephan Dippenaar.
For the 2017 Championship Boerewors competition, Shoprite has partnered with the VUSA Academy, a rugby and academic upliftment programme based in the community of Langa.
Shoprite will be supporting the wonderful work that VUSA is already doing by coming on board as a food partner, to ensure that the 80 children who participate in this programme, receive a nutritious meal every day.
Shoprite’s partnership with VUSA forms part of its extensive hunger relief programme, the core focus of the retailer’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives. Shoprite’s vision is ultimately to establish food gardens at the VUSA Academy’s four beneficiary schools in Langa, so that they may have access to a sustainable food source.