SA BBQ Festival 2026: Pitmasters Cook with Donkey Long Tongs

This Saturday, 10 October, more than 35 pitmasters are lighting fires at Sandringham Farm in Stellenbosch for the SA BBQ Festival, and we can't wait.

We'll have a stand, but that's only half of it. We're the official fire tool partner of the event, which means every one of these braai legends will be cooking with our tools.

If you're going, you'll be eating braai from people like Jay Maan, Johan de Villiers, Kevin Wright, Pete Goffe-Wood, Chef Juan Andres Vais and plenty more. Be sure to go hungry.

See the full lineup at bottom of post.

Earlier this week we took some of the pitmasters around our factory. We showed them how we make everything in house, and who does it. Every product that leaves here gets proper time and effort from someone on our team, and it's always great showing the people who'll be using our braai tongs where they come from.

Then we put them to work. Some of the crew, the Brazilian pitmasters included, built their own Donkey Tong 69cm. Those are the tongs they'll be cooking with on Saturday.

Images by Wildebeest Brandewyn

What is the SA BBQ Festival?

The SA BBQ Festival is a live-fire cooking festival at Sandringham Farm in Stellenbosch, in the Cape Winelands, on 10 October 2026. The organisers sum it up in three words: Flavour. Fire. Music.

A BBQ festival puts live-fire cooks, food and music in one place. You watch the cooks work, taste what comes off the fire and pick up how they do it.

This one brings more than 35 pitmasters from South Africa, Brazil, Mozambique and Argentina. The music side includes Freshlyground, Crimson House, Jack Parow, Matthew Mole and Die Heuwels Fantasties. 

What is a pitmaster?

A pitmaster is the person who controls the fire and cooks the food. They stand at it for hours and make it look easy. They can't afford to burn a hand halfway through.

That's why we made sure every chef this weekend has a great pair of tongs that can handle a cook this intense. From Jay Maan and Johan de Villiers to Kevin Wright, Pete Goffe-Wood and Chef Juan Andres Vais.

The tools you need for open fire cooking

Cooking on an open fire is a big job. It brings intense heat, but also an incredible smokey flavour that is impossible to recreate. You need tools that can handle it. Tools like these:

Find us at the SA BBQ Festival

Pop in and find us at the SA BBQ Festival on 10 October. Come say hi, play some games and talk braai with us for as long as you've got.

Grab your tickets here and come enjoy the day with us.

Can't make Saturday?

Come and see where it all happens. The Barn, our factory shop, is at 48 Marine Drive in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town. It's open Monday to Thursday 9 to 5 and Friday 9 to 4.

See you at the fire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Full Lineup