Stellenbosch Hills/Freddy Hirsch Droewors-maker of the Year announced

Wednesday, 13 November, 2013
Stellenbosch Hills
Martin Scholtz, a sheep and garlic farmer from Loxton in the Karoo, left nearly 30 other entrants of the 2013 Stellenbosch Hills/Freddy Hirsch Droëwors Maker of the Year competition high and dry when he walked away with the title using his personal selection of quality spices supplied by Freddy Hirsch.
Martin grew up on a farm and working with meat has been a hobby since a very young age. The selection of meat, Kudu, Springbok and Afrikaner sheep, he used for his winning “wors” are all from animals reared on his farm. The other top two finalists were Hugo Human from Durbanville and Leonard Lotter from Kraaifontein.   The winner was announced at a lunch on Friday, November 8 at the popular wineland restaurant, 96 Winery Road.

After the successful Stellenbosch Hills/Freddy Hirsch Biltong Challenge in 2012, it was decided to alternate between crowning South Africa’s best biltong and droëwors maker every year.

“Stellenbosch Hills was the first cellar to combine two proudly South African delights with our Biltong & Wine Adventure to be enjoyed at our cellar door,” says PG Slabbert, winemaker and manager of Stellenbosch Hills, about this exiting competition.

“The art of spicing and drying meat nowadays is as specialised as the art of winemaking. Our aim was to create a competition where some of South Africa’s favourite products – wine and biltong – could be combined.”

Freddy Hirsch, South Africa’s foremost spice suppliers to the meat industry, has signed up as sponsor for the second year. “We chose to partner in the Stellenbosch Hills annual competition as it combines some South African favourites, droëwors and wine. This competition is ideal for local droëwors makers to showcase their skills using our quality selection of spices and to inspire others to try it for themselves,” said Deanne Nicolau, Freddy Hirsch group marketing manager.

"Droëwors and biltong are quintessential ‘padkos’ for South Africans so we are overjoyed to be involved," said Getaway editor and media partner of the competition, Cameron Ewart-Smith.

Each year a different Stellenbosch Hills wine is chosen to be the inspiration for entrants. The winner’s droëwors must be the best match for the chosen wine.   This year the choice of wine is the Stellenbosch Hills 1707 Reserve, 2010. Entrants could use any meat of their choice.

The  entries were tasted by a panel of six  judges, including  PG Slabbert,  Philip Kriel, Stellenbosch Hills director and recreational biltong and droëwors maker, Jan Braai, one of South Africa’s favourite celebrity braai chefs, Ilse Fourie, popular MasterChef contestant, Sue Von Hirschberg, Silwood trained cordon bleu chef and Samarie Smit, well known wine and food journalist.

The winner received R15 000 cash, as well as R15 000 worth of products from Stellenbosch Hills and Freddy Hirsch, while the second prize was R10 000 cash, as well as the equivalent in products with the third prize a R5000 cash prize and the equivalent in  products.

WineLand