Local La Fusion chefs cook up a storm as the aim to be the ultimate braai masters
"We are a diverse group with a range of cultural backgrounds, so I had to learn how to interact with our other teammates"
Dundee’s Njabulo Zuma and Richard Ndlazi are the first chefs from KwaZulu-Natal to compete in the Ultimate Braai Master (UBM) reality TV show. Now in its eighth season, UBM airs on E-TV every Sunday at 17:00.
Celebrity judges Peter Goffee Wood and Benny Masekwameng judge 10 teams who are all vying for the ultimate braai master crown. Njabulo and Richard, who now work in Empangeni, used to own and operate a restaurant in Peacevale that had to close due to Covid-19.
They also own a restaurant in Newcastle. “The competition is very tough, but we are learning new skills because all the meals are prepared over an open flame. The hardest job so far required me to cook bread on hot stones”, said Richard. He added that the journey was ‘eye-opening’ and that he liked meeting new people who shared his passion. He hopes that ambitious chefs will be inspired by his participation in the competition. After being an avid watcher of the series for the past seven years, Richard says that now finding himself as a competitor is ‘surreal and a major career achievement’. Njabulo is no stranger to the neighbourhood’s culinary scene. Soon after their restaurant closed, he was forced to relocate to Empangeni. “It was not an easy decision, but we needed to make sound business choices to save our company,” he explained.
When asked about his participation in UBM, Njabulo explained that it is a learning experience because of the uniqueness of the competition.
“Being in the show is a learning curve. We were provided with tents and we had to erect them on our own. Oddly enough, we managed without any trouble,” said Njabulo. They also found themselves hunting for food some evenings.
“We are a diverse group with a range of cultural backgrounds, so I had to learn how to interact with our other teammates. We are also learning to prepare a variety of various foods over an open flame, which is something I find challenging because I am used to using an electric stove to prepare food.” Njabulo says that while cooking over a stove allows you to regulate the heat, doing so with fire is impossible. Both Njabulo and Richard agree that the youth of Dundee need to be exposed to the hospitality industry and know that it is a viable career option. “We have a programme called High School Food Talk and in March, we will be visiting schools throughout KZN to teach them about the industry,” Njabulo explained. Thalana Combined School has been selected to participate in such a programme.
