Full steam ahead on granny power for the ultimate braai

Team Gee-Gee, short for Galloping Grannies, has been selected as one of the 13 teams to participate in the Ultimate Braai Master, season four, TV show.

They’re also the oldest team to ever participate on the show.

Tracy Graham (54) is the ”Braai Master”, and her friend for the past 10 years, Christine Vermaak (62), the ”Braai Buddy”.

Graham, a retired wedding planner, is married to Gordon Graham and has two sons, three stepchildren, two grandchildren and four step-grandchildren.

She grew up in Springs and moved to Boksburg in 1995, where she currently resides in Sunward Park.

Her hobbies are anything to do with making things with her hands, such as needlework and knitting. Her next project is learning to do woodwork.

She also enjoys playing lawn bowls and plays for Boksburg Bowling Club.

“I am determined to achieve with anything I set my mind to,” she said.

Vermaak is a retired business woman and married to Douw Vermaak.

They have four children and 11 grandchildren.

She lives in Elspark, but grew up in Durban.

Her hobbies are needlework and fishing and, just like Graham, she enjoys playing lawn bowls.

Vermaak also plays for the Boksburg Bowling Club – this is where the two met and became good friends.

Ultimate Braai Master is a South African reality TV show and won the Safta (South African Film and Television Awards) award for the best reality show.

It is a road trip of a lifetime, in which the teams travel about 8 000km around the county in 60 days.

The Braai Master and the Braai Buddy have to cook gourmet meals over an open fire (braai).

Teams are judged and eliminated over the 60 day period, until two teams are selected for the final.

The winning team walks away with the title of Ultimate Braai Master, R500 000 cash, a new, fully kitted out Suzuki SX4 to the value of R319 900, and a trip to Florida, in the USA, to participate in the World Braai Championships.

Graham entered the reality show to see our beautiful country.

“After a bad motorbike accident a year ago, I realised that life is too short and I would like to do some sort of adventure,” she said.

After entering, Team Gee-Gee were shortlisted from thousands of entries, to attend the auditions at the Indaba Hotel, on March 7.

It was the first time either she or Vermaak had entered any cooking competition.

Teams had four hours in which to make a fire, to set up and then braai a meal and serve it to the judges, who are top chefs in South Africa.

Team Gee Gee cooked a three-course meal, showing off their braai skills. Their main course consisted of braised lamb shank, served with spicy tomato rice and mint peas.

Their menu did the trick and Team Gee Gee qualified for season four.

“We are very positive about winning, because we can cook and have the advantage of coming into the competition with plenty of experience,” said Graham.

Graham’s ”secret” for the perfect braai is to use only the best meat and ingredients.

“Most importantly, control your fire – don’t kill your meat twice,” she said.

Should Team Gee Gee walk away as the winner, Graham would like to open a Nanna’s Kitchen buffet, which would serve only wholesome, home-cooked meals.

“Life is so busy and people get tired of fast food,” she said.

”I have always been in the hospitality field, as a wedding planner; I like the look on people’s faces when they are happy and enjoy what I have done.”

Season four of the Ultimate Braai Master will be screened on e.tv from September 20.

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