Chris Riley won the coveted Britain's Premier Young Butcher 2014 title yesterday at the Foodex exhibition in Birmingham's NEC by winning four of the six categories. 20 year old Chris beat four other 18 to 23 year old apprentice butchers in the five hour marathon, making and displaying Ready to Eat, Stuffed Roast, Seam Butchery, Barbeque and Kitchen Ready products.
Chris who works for Walter Smith at Woodlands Farm Shop in Leicestershire came first in the Stuffed Roast, Seam Butchery, Barbecue and Display categories. Already a rising star with the Midland multiple, Chris is a level three advanced apprentice in Meat and Poultry as well as a level two and three with merit in Health and Hygiene.
Close on his heels was 18 year old Peter Rushforth as 'runner up' in the competition, with three Highly Commended's in the Ready to Eat, Stuffed Roast and the Barbecue categories. Peter who was the youngest to compete in the competition works for Clive Swan in Truddyn, Flintshire also competed in the Welsh Young Butcher Competition at the Welsh Winter Fair last November.
George Parker of Frank Parker Butchers in Nuneaton, Warwickshire won the Ready to Eat category and was Highly Commended for his Kitchen Ready selection. Former Royal Marine trainee Joshua Brown working at Essington Farm Shop in Wolverhampton won the Kitchen Ready category. While Owen Taylor Butcher's apprentice John Rendell from Leabrook near Derby was Highly Commended in the Seam Butchery and Display categories.
The Premier Young Butcher Competition is acclaimed as the most demanding competition for 18 to 23 year olds in the UK Meat Industry, and is organised by the National Federation of Meat and Food Traders (NFMFT). The event was hosted by William Reed and sponsored and supported by BPEX, Cambrian Training, EBLEX, Institute of Meat, Meat Training Council, RAPS UK, QMS and the Worshipful Company of Butchers.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
