Day 1 of the audition entailed 100 teams consisting of a Braai Master and his/her Braai Buddy competing against the other teams. The brief was wide open and contestants could braai anything in a space of 4 hours but they had to bring all their equipment with them – even wash-up water. Teams were allowed to pre-prep but not pre-cook anything. Teams had to impress a panel of judges including Justin Bonello together with 17 of local celebrity judges, including Bertus Basson, Executive Chef and owner of Overture in Stellenbosch; Executive Chef of Table Bay Hotel, Dallas Orr; Craig Cormack owner and chef from Sofias Restaurant on Morgenster Wine Estate; Howard Booysen of Howard Booysen Wines; owner of Spier's Biodynamic Farms, Angus Macintosh; and Executive Chef at Sun City, Andrew Roberts, judged each competing team on a variety of criteria including 'gees', presentation, taste, texture and originality. After a vigorous tasting session that lasted from 12pm to 3pm, Justin, together with Metrofm DJ, Tbo Touch, announced the 15 short-listed teams to make it through to a second day of competitive pressure cooking and secret judging from which some of the 15 competing teams from around the country will be selected and announced on 14 June once the other 2 auditions are complete.
Ronel Theron and Billy Stanley have been living in Betty's Bay for about 10 years and have a 7 year old son. Ronel is a graphic designer well known for publishing the local annual telephone directory (the Hangklip-Kleinmond Book) and Billy is well known in the fishing and diving community as a 'hard-core local ocean fanatic' – he spent 12 years as an Aquarist with the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town where he was instrumental in collecting animals and building the kelp forest. He left the Aquarium around 8 years ago to start his own business. Billy's spear gun is never far from reach. They are both ardent nature lovers and protectors and live close to the earth. They grow their own edible Fynbos herbs and have a Fynbos bee hive. They have no chef's training although Ronel has worked as a waitress for many years! They decided to enter the competition because no one eats as much seafood as they do and they have a passion for food and life. The prospect of a 52 day 8000km roadtrip through SA during filming is a drawcard too as they would love South Africans to share their knowledge in plants and animals. Billy has a way of finding reptiles and oddities in nature, stroked a whale that swam up to his fishing kayak and was bitten playing catch with a Cape Cobra at age 12, to mention a few incidents.
The Stoned Olives auditions
The Stoned Olives dressed in their wetsuits and this drew the attention of the cameras from the word go. Billy filleted his fish on camera and one of the things loved most about their concept was the fact that they had sourced all their food from nature AND turned one fish into 3 meals and as such there was no waste – a beautiful thing to teach a hungry nation. Ronel says, "The judges were fascinated by our morals and love for nature and Betty's Bay. They loved the fact that we only managed to get our galjoen 12 hours before the braai started".
When the 15 finalists were announced Justin Bonello commended The Stoned Olives on taste, presentation, stand design and decor, apparel and attitude. Liezel vd Westhuizen (Expresso SABC3) only interviewed a handful of the finalists, but she was very interested in Ronel and Billy and their lives in Betty's Bay. She also interviewed Justin Bonello in front of their stand.
On arrival of Day 2 of the auditions, The Stoned Olives were dressed in their red 'Guardian of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve T-shirts. When questioned about it on camera the question of Betty's Bay came up again and Ronel told them of the amazing support they have received from the local tourism bureau and residents with which they were very impressed.
The auditions for KwaZulu-Natal will be taking place this coming weekend and Gauteng is up the weekend thereafter. The Stoned Olives will only know if they made it through to the TV reality show* (as one of 15 teams) once all the auditions have been completed, but they have high hopes! Ronel says, "We feel honoured and blessed that we have made it so far out of 7000 entries countrywide and to be named among the best 'braaier's' in the Cape. If we do not make the top 15 for South Africa we will still cherish the experience for the rest of our lives, but we feel extremely positive". You can join The Stoned Olives on Facebook - The Ultimate Braai Master - The Stoned Olives.
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