Now known as the biggest butchery competition in existence, the World Butchers’ Challenge takes place next month – and Team GB are busy sharpening their knives!
Team GB, known as the British Beefeaters, are preparing themselves for the competition of a lifetime.
On 21st March, six of the UK’s best butchers will go to head with teams of butchers from Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA for the world championship title.
This year’s competition will be hosted by Butchery Excellence Ireland, and takes place at IFEX 2018 at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast.
Team GB representatives include Michael Dufton, Knitsley Farm Shop; Mark Ramsay, Falleninch Farm Butchers, Stirling; Simon Taylor, Surrey Hills Butchers, Oxshot; Bryce Lawson, McMurchie Meats, Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham; Jessica Leliuga, Ye OIde Sausage Shop, Oswaldtwistle, Lancs and Tom Wood (captain), Tom Wood Artisan Butchers.
These six talented butchers, who were selected after rigorous trials at 2017’s Meatup exhibition, will be tasked with butchering a variety of carcases over the space of just a few hours and demonstrating the top quality products they can prepare from them. They will be judged by a team of experts from across the world, including Institute of Meat CEO and Master Butcher Keith Fisher.
Meat Management editor Emily Ansell Elfer attended Team GB’s recent practice at Leeds City College to meet the butchers and see how training is progressing.
Speaking at the practice, Dalziel’s Danny Upson, chair of the WBC UK Council Committee, said: “Butchery is a craft and the more we can promote it the better. We had an excellent response to our call for applications and a tough team selection process at Meatup. The standard is extremely high this year and although there is plenty of work still to do the team are well on their way. In the UK we’re proud of our trade and produce, and this competition is a great way to help keep standards high and celebrate our British butchers.”
As Team GB's official trade media partner, Meat Management will be running a series of interviews with the team members and features in the run up to and after the World Butchers' Challenge competition takes place. Stay tuned!
For more information on the competition, visit www.worldbutcherschallenge.com.
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.
