THE irresistible aroma of warm traditional meals, the enticing tunes of the DJs and the laughter and smiles of the community filled the Oxford Freshmarket tent at their family fun day at Harlequins market on July 25. The event aimed to bring families together, offering entertainment and prizes. But the main event was the Ultimate Cook-Off. 

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Five teams of two went head-to-head, all vying for the top spot with the hopes of walking away with the prize of R25 000. While the cooks focused on their dishes, DJs kept the energy up, coaxing even the oldest and youngest attendees onto the dance floor. 

Comedian and host for the day, Bash with Tash, kept the audience engaged with her witty jokes. She and fellow comedian and influencer, “That Aunty from Tongaat” Chantal Naidu, also distributed Oxford Freshmarket vouchers as spot prizes.

The Ultimate Cook-Off

The first place was awarded to The Spicy Duo, Lalitha Govender and Praveshnee Pillay. The mother-daughter team served up an authentic Durban fish curry served with a traditional Indian dessert called burfi soji.

“Our team’s dish was inspired by my late grandmother who would always make this curry. My grandfather was a fisherman, and he would catch the freshest fish for my grandmother to cook,” said Praveshnee.

Everyone is a winner 

Oxford Freshmarket had also decided to raise the stakes, ensuring every team left with something. The second-place team received R15 000, third place got R10 000 and the fourth and fifth teams each took home R2 000.

A grateful business 

Brett Latimer, CEO of Oxford Freshmarket, said that the day was just absolutely incredible. 

“It is a privilege to have you all here. The children certainly were having a ball earlier with the dancing. I was exhausted trying to dance with them. But to the mums and dads that have brought the children out, to the contestants and to our marketing team, thank you so much. I am quite humbled by the effort that has been put in. The marketing team, we are also grateful for everything you guys have done to make this day possible as well,” said Latimer. 

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The fun day was filled with good food, fun prizes, live entertainment and more importantly a great sense of community pride. 

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