The Team

Herman Fick

With over 40 years of hands-on experience in BBQ and outdoor cooking,

Herman is a seasoned expert who has mastered the art of creating exceptional

culinary experiences. His expertise spans a diverse range of cooking techniques,

including grilling, low and slow cooking, smoking, and Dutch Oven meal

preparation. He has also orchestrated large outdoor catering events over open

coals, showcasing his ability to create unforgettable feasts in any environment.

Nicolette Fick

With over 30 years of diverse experience in the food industry, we proudly

present a unique opportunity to learn from a seasoned expert who has traversed the realms of catering and restaurant ownership. Beginning as a catering entrepreneur in the early 90s and later transitioning into the realm of restaurant ownership, Nicolette brings a wealth of insights and expertise to the table.

Nicolette and Herman (the course presenters and co-owners of Gear and Go) have their own company called Fickle Foods where they make and sell Boerewors (Farmer's Sausage). The company has a grade 5 food hygiene certification.

Our Motto is simple: ‘Fellowship around Fire and Food”

It is about having fun around preparing food (no stress!), making fires and enjoying the fruits of your outdoor cooking adventures.

What to Expect

Course Approach and Content

We have been inundated with requests to run courses about using our barbecues ‘properly’ - we will cover the MadKon range as well as other brands and makes, for example Weber. Many people are saying that they would like to confidently BBQ for family and friends without the worries of burned burgers and sausages. They would like to learn how to BBQ chicken, pork belly, steaks, chops and veggies over the coals.

Frequently asked questions:

How do I decide what charcoal to use? Lump wood? Briquettes?
Is there an easy way to start my charcoal pile or wood fire?
How do I know when my coals are ready for the different cuts of meat/veggies I am about to BBQ?
How do I BBQ using coals from a fire I made?
Can I burn any wood to coal and then BBQ on it?
How do I know when the meat is ready?
Can you BBQ any cut of meat?

And the list goes on - very valid questions when you have not BBQ’ed a lot.

On our course, every participant will be prepping and cooking their own food. You will each have your own fire pit and everything is hands-on during the day. You will also receive notes and a ‘goody bag’ to take home.

If warned in advance, we can easily cater for the same experience whether you are vegetarian or vegan. Feel free to contact us for any very specific dietary requirements.

Dress code: Fire and heat friendly! We do not recommend flip-flops or open footwear as you might just have a piece of coal split off from a fire and land on your bare skin or you step on a coal that fell from your fire pit. A BBQ can splatter, so older clothes are advised.

Drinks: We supply Bean to cup coffee, tea, water, squash, Diet Coke, Diet Fanta and Coke throughout the day.

Our course answers all the questions above and so many more! We have had participants on the course that has not even started a fire before, and left confident enough to invite family over the very next weekend, and BBQ’ed for them with great success! (We love this kind of feedback!)

We are planning a number of different courses over the coming year and will also create courses on request. If you and your friends/family book a private course, we can be very flexible with the course content.