Taste & Tell
Which supermarket's BBQ basting sauce is a must for your next braai?
To help you buy the best, we put sauces from leading retailers to the taste test
Image: 123RF/foodandmore
HOW WE CONDUCTED OUR TASTE TEST
IT'S FREE AND FAIR!
The Taste & Tell series is a monthly feature where the same or similar supermarket items are put to a taste test by a panel. (This one was made up of teachers from Bryanston High School.)
A theme for each tasting is selected by Sunday Times food editor Hilary Biller, who goes out and shops as a consumer would. (For this tasting, we endeavoured to purchase a BBQ sauce from each retailer. Some were labelled braai sauce, others BBQ basting sauce and one store, Spar, did not carrya house-brand BBQ sauce.)
We work with chefs who assist with any preparation that's necessary. Items are categorised, numbered and stripped of all their packaging before being served. A food expert in the kitchen oversees the entire process.
The tasters undertake a blind tasting and the food is judged on a score sheet and is rated according to appearance, taste, quality of ingredients and whether the taster would consider buying the product. Each category is judged out of 10 points: 10 is excellent, 5 average and 1 extremely poor.
An auditor checks each score sheet and collates the results.
THE RESULTS
FIRST PLACE: PICK N PAY
Braai Basting Sauce
Price: R29.99
What the judges said:
- Bronwyn: Tangy and smoky tasting.
- Yvonne: I would buy this, love the tanginess of the sauce.
- Phuti: Love the vinegary tang of the sauce. Smoky undertones. Tastes like a braai.
Image: Christoph Hoffman
SECOND PLACE: CHECKERS
Braai Sauce
Price: R34.99
- Yvonne: Sweet and tangy.
- Smuts: Smoky and nice
- Brad: Bit sweet for my taste, a little like a syrup.
THIRD PLACE: WOOLWORTHS
Barbeque Basting Sauce
Price: R42.99
What the judges said:
- Mia: The sauce is too tangy, which is overwhelming.
- Wian: Nice. Strong. Like the garlic taste.
- Phuti: Lovely colour but doesn't have that lovely BBQ flavour.
FOURTH PLACE: FOOD LOVER'S MARKET
Sweet BBQ Basting Sauce
Price: R26.99
What the judges said:
- Bronwyn: Far too sweet. Tastes artificial and watery.
- Sam: This tastes and looks like tomato sauce.
- Mia: Bland and too sweet.