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

17 March 2019 - 00:00 By Hilary Biller
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The right store-bought BBQ basting sauce will take your braai to the next level.
The right store-bought BBQ basting sauce will take your braai to the next level.
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.
From left: sauces from Pick n Pay, Checkers, Woolworths and Food Lover's market.
From left: sauces from Pick n Pay, Checkers, Woolworths and Food Lover's market.
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.

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