WellingtonNZ.com,
New Zealand 

Steven Scheckter at On Trays in Petone.

Steven Scheckter, owner of Wellington specialist delicatessen On Trays, believes he has the recipe for success ahead of Rugby World Cup 2011.

Steven and his wife Valda emigrated to Wellington from South Africa in 1997, and soon discovered the city lacked one important food item – biltong.
Biltong is a cured meat that is usually made from beef; game meats and ostrich are sometimes used. The meat is cut into strips, cured in vinegar, spiced and air dried. 

The dark nuggets of chewy meat may not be to everyone's taste, but South Africans go crazy for it, Steven says. 

“Many South Africans carry a pen-knife with them at all times just so they can carve off chunks of biltong.
“It is good stuff. Delicious. When a South African gets off the plane the first thing the biosecurity guys ask is 'have you got any biltong?'.” 

The Springboks will use Wellington as their base as they defend their world champion title at Rugby World Cup 2011, and Steven expects once the word gets out that he has the best biltong this side of the Indian Ocean, his delicacy will be in hot demand. 

Other South African cuisine favourites are bratwurst sausage and big juicy steaks, he says. 

“There's going to be a lot of South African fans coming to Wellington and they'll no doubt be looking for a taste of home.” 

Although Steven considers himself a proud Kiwi, when it comes to Rugby his loyalties are torn. He's a huge supporter of the Hurricanes, but on the international stage it's the Springboks he cheers for. 

And he doesn’t mind rubbing it in when his side comes out on top. 

“I've got a 1995 Springbok Rugby shirt that will be coming out. That was a good year for us,” he says, alluding to South Africa's 15-12 triumph over New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.