Three additional nations – Canada, Iceland and Mexico – have been announced to compete in the 2020 World Butchers’ Challenge.

Team Mexico

Team Mexico members L-R: Dan Curral, Hector Yedra, Miguel Yedra, Oscar Yedra (Team Captain), Renato Yedra and Lorenzo Rodriguez.

The nations will join the 12 other teams in the global butchery competition, which is conducted over an intense three hour and fifteen-minute period.

With competing teams of six butchers, each are given a side of beef, a side of pork, a whole lamb and five chickens which they must then transform into a themed display of value-added products.

The 2020 event will be the biggest yet, with teams from across the globe set to travel to the United States to compete, including current champions, Ireland, alongside Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa and USA.

The event will be held from 4th to 5th September 2020 in Sacramento, California.

Danny Johnson, team captain of the Butchers of America, said the addition of the three nations brings about a raft of new opportunity.

He commented: “Thinking ahead to 2020, the fact these nations are on board brings on a new level of excitement. Not only to compete against them but for the possibilities of friendships and mentorships that open up for me and my team mates – I’d love to visit Iceland and see how their shops work!”

As the challenge has grown, so too has the preceding event – the World Champion Butcher Apprentice and Young Butcher competition.

Entries into either categories are still open to young talent from around the world until 31st March.

For more information on both competitions, including past results and team bios, 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.