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
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.
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.