Asheel Beharie has proudly carried on a family tradition by earning third place in the 2025 Checkers Championship Boerewors competition in Cape Town.
Asheel was born and raised in Ladysmith, where his father, Ashook Beharie, is well known for his expertise in the meat industry and has served the community for over 40 years.
Ashook has a long history with the Checkers boerewors competition, producing excellent results from regional to national level. In 2005, he achieved second place nationally, and last year he was once again among the Top 10 finalists.
Growing up watching his father compete inspired Asheel to follow in his footsteps. “The competition is nothing new to me,” he explained. “I’ve been entering for about 15 years, often winning at regional level and progressing to provincial level, but this is my first time making it to the nationals.”
Out of 2,350 entries from across South Africa, only ten were chosen as finalists, judged by professionals from the South African Chefs Association (SACA). Asheel’s accomplishment of securing third place nationally is a milestone he and his community will never forget.
“It was an absolute honour to represent my hometown Ladysmith all the way in Cape Town. I put my hometown and province on the map, and I made my family and friends proud. The support I received was tremendous I knew there was no room for mistakes because everyone was counting on me,” he said.
Asheel described the journey as both stressful and enjoyable. Once he reached the Top 30, he was confident he could break into the Top 10.
Competing against the very best, including the 2023 national champion Tyrone Adams, pushed him to remain focused and give his best performance.
He added, “My dad travelled with me and kept motivating me all the way, while my mum’s prayers gave me strength. Even though the competitors were my rivals, there was a lot of encouragement and mutual respect. It was an unforgettable experience with many memories made.”
For Asheel, perfecting his recipe has been a journey of patience and persistence. “You have to balance the spice with the meat ratio to ensure a perfectly blended flavour. My style is unique yet traditional the flavours are well balanced.”
When asked about sharing his recipe, Asheel smiled, “It’s still my secret. I’m fine-tuning it for the next competition. My aim is to take first place and become the SA boerewors champion. That would mean my recipe being used to make boerewors sold in Checkers and Shoprite stores throughout South Africa so I won’t be giving up anytime soon.”
Upon returning home, Asheel was welcomed like a king by his family and friends, who celebrated his achievement with pride. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to his community, saying, “The support from Ladysmith has been my biggest inspiration, and I am very thankful for it.”
