SABC2's Ready Steady Cook was launched last week at the Atlas Studio in Milpark.
Media were invited to view a special celebrity cook-off between 94.7's Jeremy Mansfield and 702 Talk Radio's David O'Sullivan.
Based on the successful British format, SA's Ready Steady Cook hopes to be just as tantalising and tormenting, although there are a few differences so as not to produce a clone of the UK show.
SA chefs and contestants will have to produce dishes with a bag full of mismatched groceries in only 17 minutes. The UK time limit is 20 minutes. Also, according to the producer of the UK show Linda Clifford, the kitchen is "10 times better" than the BBC show's facility. The logo and music are also different.
"It is more funky - it is the kwaito version," says show floor manager David Batzofin. The set is done in metallic finishes. The host is, of course, Fezile Mpela who will present the show in both English and Afrikaans. (Apparently, at one of the shoots, Mpela said "ready, steady, cook" in Zulu, which threw everyone.)
At the celeb cook-off, Mansfield was joined by Elvis Marena, executive sous chef of the Saxon Hotel, while O'Sullivan teamed up with the owner of Premier Food Services, Kevin Jonathan Cramb. O'Sullivan and Cramb had previously cooked together and claimed that they were unbeatable.
The show is fast and furious - there is even a paramedic close on hand, just in case of mishaps.
- To see who produced the most mouth-watering dishes, catch the show on Saturday at 5.30pm on SABC2
