A FAMILY THAT BRAAIS TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER
The members of Wellington’s Blauw family have become mafiosos of boerewors
Hidden between majestic mountains, Wellington in the Western Cape is a hideaway many may not have on their radar. While those who have taken a detour into the quaint, quiet town might speak highly of the picturesque area, it’s the Wellington Mafia that is putting the dorpie on the map.
For the past five years members of the Blauw family have cemented themselves as leaders in homemade boerewors. It all began when matriarch Yvonne walked away with the Championship Boerewors prize in 2018. With a love for spices stemming from lifelong experience in the meat industry, she has taken part in the Shoprite competition since the early 2000s. Eldest son Delano Jasper has also come up trumps in the contest, securing the crown in 2020 during the Covid lockdown, while his youngest brother Xavier was a runner-up at the age of 13. Now the pressure is on father Roland to win the title.
Explaining his reason for considering entering, Roland says: “So I’m sitting there listening to [their achievements] and that became my inspiration to enter. I got my spices to create my recipe because I was just tired of sitting at the dinner table and missing out.”
While boerewors is big in South
Africa, Wellington has fallen in love with it to such an extent that the town dominated the top 10 in this year’s competition, with Tyron Adams walking away with the prize. The event rakes in thousands of entrants who undergo a gruelling process, with judges including Zola Nene, Martin Kobald and Carmen Niehaus.
“It was actually Yvonne,” says Roland, who believes his wife is behind turning Wellington into a wors mecca. “People were like, jislaaik, if these people can win this competition then so can we!”
While the mafia moniker might conjure images of the antics of the Sopranos or Corleones, the secret to the Blauws’ success is that making their products is a joyful family affair.
“We help each other a lot,” says
Xavier. “The first time we entered I asked my mother for help, since she is the most experienced. I think that’s why people call us the Wellington Mafia, because we help each other. We test each other’s meat and critique it.”
And proof of the family’s success is certainly in Xavier’s pudding. For the past three years he has turned heads at the competition as one of its top contenders. When he is not mixing the perfect recipe, Xavier can be found singing in the choir or playing in the backline for Huguenot High School’s rugby team.
“Throughout this journey I have learnt to be flexible with my recipe. With all the spice combinations I have learnt, this competition has taught me to never give up,” he says, laughing, then adding that he hopes to be the best in the family.
Though it’s easy to face off against his family, Xavier often finds older competitors are intimidated by his multiple appearances at such a young age, he says.
While Roland, a potjiekos master, awaits his time to shine in the competition, when it comes to braaiing, the responsibility mostly falls to him. Explaining his take on a braai, Roland says: “It doesn’t matter if you have a braai with mealie pap, sugar beans or a green salad, it just matters who is with you when you’re doing it. It’s all about how much they enjoy the meal.”
While they might not have placed this year, the family are keen to attend next year’s face-off, with all eyes on Roland, who might finally have his moment in the sun.