The World Butchers’ Challenge has confirmed its home for the 2020 competition as the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
Home to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and host to a range of celebrity concerts, including Elton John and Justin Timberlake, this is the first time the arena has set up an international food event.
World Butchers’ Challenge chair, Rod Slater, visited the arena late last year and says he is thrilled with the decision to travel to Sacramento after witnessing what’s in store for the competition come September 2020.
“Not only is this arena visually spectacular, the underpinning principles and programmes it delivers really align with what we’re about – celebrating food and passionate producers,” he said.
“Sacramento is really welcoming us with open arms, and I can assure everyone that the best butchers in the world will put on a show like no other.”
There will be 16 teams from across the globe, including Team GB, who will have three hours to transform a side of beef, a side of pork, a whole lamb and five chickens into a themed display of value-added cuts.
Sacramento Kings chief operating officer Matina Kolokotronis is also excited about the prospect of hosting an international food competition of this scale.
“The World Butchers’ Challenge will bring a new, exciting display of creativity, innovation and competition that Sacramento hasn’t seen before,” said Kolokotronis.
“To have such an elite, global competition visit America’s ‘Farm-to-Fork Capital’ is an honour and we are ready to welcome them here at Golden 1 Center.”
Supporting the event is Visit Sacramento, the city’s tourism board, and president and CEO, Mike Testa is anticipating thousands of visitors to the competition: “In Sacramento, fresh food is an integral part of our lives, so the opportunity to host an incredible event like the World Butchers’ Challenge fits with this community and aligns well with our identity as a city.
“Our city is surrounded by more than 1.5 million acres of farm and ranch land and that translates into a passionate community that is truly excited and deliberate about what goes on our plates. We can’t wait for the competitors and fans to experience that enthusiasm for themselves,” he added.
Operating a local food and sustainability programme, it sources 90% of its ingredients from a 150-mile radius of the arena which will include the beef, lamb, pork and chicken used during the World Butchers’ Competition.
The Golden 1 Center is also the first arena to be awarded LEED Platinum Designation – the highest level of global recognition for environmentally conscious buildings and organisations.
The World Butchers’ Challenge will be held on the 5th September 2020 following the World Champion Butcher Apprentice and Young Butcher competition on the 4th September.
To register interest in attending visit https://www.worldbutcherschallenge.com/tickets
For more information about the competition, including the full history and team details, visit: https://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.
