Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) has launched a competition for members of its Butchers’ Club with a meat cutting contest during the Royal Welsh Show.
Two successful applicants will be selected to compete for the top spot and will showcase their butchery skills and product innovation using Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef in a retail display at HCC’s stand at the Royal Welsh Show on Tuesday 19th July.
The winner will be awarded the HCC Butchers’ Club – Butcher of the Year title trophy, a three course meal for two at one of HCC’s Welsh Lamb Club restaurants as well as access to promotional activity.
“The competition is open to owners, managers and butchers of any business that is a member of HCC’s Butchers’ Club,” Melanie Cargill, HCC’s UK market development officer, said. “For the application process, butchers are required to explain why they should be crowned HCC’s Butcher of the Year and outline how they maximise sales.
“HCC’s Butchers’ Club consists of extremely talented butchers with superior skills and innovative ideas, and we are keen to recognise their capabilities and award them for their abilities.
The application deadline is Friday 1st July.
Peter Rushforth from Swans Farm Shop in Mold, a member of HCC’s Butchers’ Club, was recently crowned the winner of the Welsh heat of the WorldSkills butchery competition.
Rushforth and his fellow contestants were tasked with seaming a full topside of beef in 45 minutes and producing a barbecue display an hour-and-a-half.
Industry consultant Viv Harvey, who was also a judge, praised the contestants for their high level of ability. “It was a very good judging session,” he said. “They were very, very close. A good range of quality skills was demonstrated and, as far as the judges go, we had a challenge on our hands.
“Normally you will get a competition where you will get a weaker one who stands out right from the beginning, but this time it was very, very close and, at the end of the competition, it actually came down to weighing the product to see about uniformity and portion control.”
The six highest-scoring competitors across three Worldskills heats (Wales, Northern Ireland and England) will go head to head in the WorldSkills final at the NEC in Birmingham from 17th to 19th November 2016.
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.
