Official Braai Partner of the BraaiBoss Challenge

Official Braai Partner of the BraaiBoss Challenge

Josh Spooner

We've partnered with KhakiBush on the 2026 KhakiBush BraaiBoss Challenge, an open-fire cooking competition on the hunt for the "Champion of the Coals". We're the official braai partner: we designed the custom fire pit the contestants cook on, and we supply every braai and grid they use.

Contestants cooking over the Pretzel fire pit at the KhakiBush BraaiBoss Challenge

How the competition works

Each preliminary round puts four amateur braaiers on the same fire at the same time, cooking from the morning through to lunch. They work through a run of challenges: coffee, bread, breakfast, a braai snack, a shisanyama roast, chicken, steak and a creative wrap.

The rules keep it honest. No professional chefs, no gas, no pre-preparation, and all meat comes from KZN Meats. Judging is led by Paul "McKhaki" Smith, who scores time management, cleanliness, taste, creativity and, most importantly, gees.

The prelim winners go through to the semi-finals, and the top two go on to the final, where each has three hours to cook a three-course meal over fire.

Where it's been, and where it's going

  • Prelims 1 and 2: East Coast Radio House & Garden Show, Durban Exhibition Centre, 27 June and 4 July. Congratulations to winners Mickalyn Padayachee and Christi Bardenhost.
  • Prelims 3 and 4: the KhakiBush Bull Pen at the Royal Show, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October.
  • Final: the Great Outdoors Expo, 14 November.

Contestant cooking bread on a grid over the coals of the Pretzel BraaiBoss Challenge fire pit

Why we got involved

Our fire pits are made to be cooked on, and there aren't many tougher tests than four people braaing flat out on one fire for a whole morning at a busy show. It's also just a lekker event to be part of, alongside KhakiBush and fellow sponsors like KZN Meats, East Coast Radio, Blaze Charcoal and Lions River Brewing Company.

If you want to see how we designed the fire pit, its four cooking stations and the contestants' braais, have a look at the project write-up.

Meat grilling on a swing-out grid over the four-station Pretzel fire pit, with a potjie and pan behind

Come and watch, or enter

Catch the next prelims at the Royal Show this weekend; the Royal Show has the details in Who's the boss of the braai in your business?. Think you've got what it takes? Entries, rules and the full schedule are on the KhakiBush BraaiBoss Challenge page.

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