Vaughan’s Family Butchers triumphs in Wales heat of WorldSkills UK butchery contest
Vaughan’s Family Butchers triumphs in Wales heat of WorldSkills UK butchery contest
The Wales heat of the Butchery WorldSkills UK National Competition, hosted by Randall Parker Foods, was won by Matthew Edwards, of Vaughan’s Family Butchers, Penyffordd, near Chester.
Matthew Edwards (centre) with judges Viv Harvey (right) and Chris Jones.
WorldSkills UK National Skills Competitions are designed to enhance apprenticeship and training programmes and improve and drive skills in the industry. Butchery is one of more than 60 skills to feature in this year’s competitions.
Edwards, along with the other Welsh butcher entrants, will now wait until August, after the Northern Ireland and English heats, to discover if they have made it into the final. The six top scoring butchers from the combined heats will qualify for the final at The Skills Show, to be held at the NEC Birmingham from 19th to 21st November.
Edwards is a former Welsh Young Butcher champion who represented Great Britain in a European butchery contest in Switzerland last year. He is working towards his apprenticeship, which he hopes to progress to Higher Apprenticeship in food manufacturing excellence to support his ambition of one day running the shop where he works.
Dale Williams, general manager of Randall Parker Foods’ Dolwen plant said of the event: “It’s a breath of fresh air to see talented butchers so keen and dedicated to progress within this industry.”
