South Africans replace Romans in Bath

By Dan Nicholl | Published September 8, 2010

“They really need to do some renovations,” was Jan Braai’s simple appraisal of the Roman Baths in Bath, a world heritage site that pays tribute to the Roman presence in the area two thousand years ago. With the Romans long gone, the cultural attraction is steeped in history; Jan was far more interested in the current invaders, who have the Recreation Ground down the road as their somewhat more modern celebration.

Gordon Ramsay, Butch James, Luke Watson and Mr Cape Town, Peter Dixon enjoying a braai

Bath’s rugby team features a quartet of South Africans: evergreen hooker Pieter Dixon, Gordon Ramsay lookalike scrumhalf Michael Claasens, laidback flyhalf Butch James, and the club’s new captain, Luke Watson, currently sporting a Ron Burgundy moustache, and wallowing in the twin glow of a successful start to the season, and impending fatherhood. All four are happily settled in the old city in the west of England, and much like Saracens two days earlier, make for a cheerful squad to share a braai with.

England centre Shontayne Hape, big loose forward Andy ‘Beast’ Beattie (who may or may not be related to Tendai Mtawarira), Welshman Tom Cheeseman, and Australian import Matt Carraro joined the South Africans, Jan Braai and myself at Farleigh House, the country manor that’s being turned into a new training centre for the club by owner Bruce Craig, for an evening braai. Michael Claasens is the team’s most ardent braaier, having three or four a week during summer (and showing an admirable resistance to salad and vegetables), but it was Dixie, a former Mr. Cape Town, who took over most of the cooking, under the guidance of captain Watson. Inappropriate, perhaps, given Watson “has never cooked anything in his life,” according to his gorgeous wife Elaine…

The poor folk of Bath don’t have access to boerewors, but we did find ‘South African-style bobotie sausages’ in a local supermarket; not entirely authentic, but a nice tribute to home, and they disappeared almost as quickly as Dixie’s admirable rump – but not nearly as fast as Dixie’s beer disappeared when the owner stuck his head in on proceedings. Craig’s a cheerful sort, though, and is presiding over exciting things at the rugby club; the Romans left quite a legacy, but if the club keeps combining victories with regular braais, then the future for Bath, and the South African contingent, can only be bright.

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Saracens on fire

By Dan Nicholl | Published September 6, 2010

Rump on the braai, Jack Parow playing in the background, cold beer flowing liberally – it could have been a regular braai anywhere in South Africa. Except it wasn’t in South Africa, but St. Albans, just outside of London, home to the bulk of the South African players at top rugby club Saracens. Ethienne Reynecke, the former Lions hooker, hosted the braai as part of the build-up to National Braai Day, and his team-mates turned up en masse: Schalk Brits, Neil de Kock, Ernst Joubert, Derick Hougaard, Brad Barritt, Mouritz Botha, Jacques Burger, Deon Carstens and Petrus Du Plessis. Which, given the presence of Jan Braai and Dan Nicholl, meant a collection of chiselled athletes on show…

Jake was wrong after-all. Schalk is wearing Springbok colours.

Also in attendance was model Minki van der Westhuyzen, who confirmed that she maintains her figure by eating nothing but braai; on holiday in London, she was quite happy to drop in on Ethienne’s house for an afternoon round the fire. Saracens braais are regular features of life in London for the rugby stars, but this Sunday’s was one of the best: great meat from the Earlsfield market, good weather for London in September, and a group of mates enjoying the simplest of South African pleasures.

Jan had to significantly lower his standards, and braai some vegetables for Minki.

There were lowlights: Deon Carsten’s karaoke wasn’t quite in the Toks van der Linde class, and Brad Barritt’s insistence on playing Justin Bieber was a little worrying. But with bowls of pap accompanying some great rump, and Schalk Brits joining us later in the day armed with his usual beaming smile (he’d had to open a shopping centre earlier in the day, and had been swamped by fans for photos and autographs), it was a great South African day in London – and a precursor of the braai that Saracens will be having on September 24 in celebration of National Braai Day.

Saracens Squad delighted to meet up with their idols, Jan Braai and Dan Nicholl.

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Braai4Heritage features in Gay Newspaper!

By Jan Braai | Published September 1, 2010

Quoting their website, “the Pink Tongue is Cape Town’s first and only monthly community newspaper for the colourful and diverse gay community”. And their September print edition has a feature on Braai4Heritage. This is obviously fantastic, and yet again proves that everybody in the country likes to braai. Thank you Pink Tongue for your help in getting the Braai4Heritage message to the nation.

Braai4Heritage features in gay newspaper Pink Tongue.

If you cannot read the article, it is essentially a reprint of the Braai4Heritage vision, which you can read here. You will notice that there is not only the text, but also some photos, and another supporting article about Spitbraai. There is even an advertisement about beef.

Thanks Martin

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Expedition to London gathers steam

By Dan Nicholl | Published August 31, 2010

Jan Braai (to quote Jan Braai) are very much excited. Rarely seen beyond the braai smoke of Stellenbosch, Jan is boarding a flight to London on Friday night, with me as his tong-wielding (buffalo) wing man, to spread the gospel of the braai to that great South African city in the north. A week of meat on fires awaits, with a couple of celebrity braais – Schalk Brits, Ernst Joubert, Justin Melck and the Saracens rugby team, and Luke Watson, Pieter Dixon, Michael Claasens and their Bath team-mates, amongst others – on the London agenda; and then there’s the visit to Shaka Zulu…

Jan and Dan. Spreading the braaiday message from the Southern tip of Africa all the way to London

The sheer number of South Africans in London (Afrikaans is the third most spoken language in the city, apparently, after Urdu and Polish…) makes for an array of South African stores; it also makes for myriad South African restaurants, of which Shaka Zulu is the latest. A vast, upmarket venue that’s restaurant, bar, club and temple to South African indulgence rolled into one, it’s exactly the sort of place King Shaka would have approved of had he pitched up in London in 2010. Which is just as well, ‘cos that’s where we’re headed this Saturday.

Shaka Zulu will be firing up the braais from mid-morning, and by the time 12 o’clock comes round, the doors will be open, meat will be cooking, and the beer will be particularly cold. All that’s needed, then, is a horde of hungry, thirsty South Africans, looking to celebrate our London warm-up for National Braai Day, and watch the Springboks thump the Wallabies in the Tri-Nations later in the day on Shaka Zulu’s big screens. A mere £20 gets you the braai buffet (the sight of the menu reduced Jan to tears), the beer will be particularly inexpensive, and the gees proudly South African all day. It’s no wonder that Jan Braai are very much excited.

  • When: Saturday 4 September
  • Time: 12pm (Springbok victory begins at 4pm)
  • Where: Shaka Zulu, Chalk Farm Road, Camden
  • Cost: £20 for braai buffet (boerewors & chutney, chicken sosaties, lamb chops, rump steak with beer braaivleis basting sauce, hot cheese & potato salad, green leaf salad & mustard dressing, grilled corn, koeksisters)
  • Google map directions: click here
  • Tube station: Camden
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Braai with us in London

By Jan Braai | Published August 30, 2010

On Saturday morning 4 September myself and Braai4Heritage ambassador Dan Nicholl will arrive at Heathrow airport in London for the UK leg of the Soutie Braai Outreach Program (the SBOP). As many know, Braai4Heritage is about creating an annual day of celebration for South Africa. But you know this because the media tells you about it. The beauty of the Braai4Heritage celebration is that it falls on a public holiday, National Heritage Day. But this is not the case in other countries, so sometimes its difficult to celebrate there, as 24 September might be in the middle of the week. And we all know the poor guys in London work long hours. But this year 24 September falls on a Friday. So there is more than enough time to braai. And that is why we are heading over to London this weekend. To go and drum up support and raise awareness for National Braai Day on 24 September.

As much braaied meat as you can eat. This Saturday in London.

From 12:00 on Saturday 4 September there will be a braai at Shaka Zulu restaurant in Camden. For 20 pounds you can eat as much braaivleis* as you want. And they will have beers on special as well. There will also be a big screen showing how the Springboks “pleiser die Wallabies”. (In the words of Francois Hougaard). If you are a South African, and you are in London, please come and join us. If you are not a South African, but always wished you were, come and join us as well, and pretend you are.

If you are on Facebook, you can join the event page of this braai, and help us invite the other South Africans in London as well.

*Update. Shaka Zulu emailed us the final menu for the braai buffet on Saturday: Boerewors & chutney; Chicken Sosaties; Lamb chops; Rump steak with beer braaivleis basting sauce; Hot cheese & potato salad; Green leaf salad & mustard dressing; Grilled corn; Koeksisters

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