Welsh butchers in global competition

Craft Butchery Team Wales will make its debut at the biennial competition, which will be contested by 16 countries from around the globe in Sacramento, California this September.

They include Dan Raftery from Randall Parker Foods, Llanidloes, and Ben Roberts from M. E. Evans Butchers, Overton.

The recently formed team is a division of the Culinary Association of Wales.

The World Butchers’ Challenge comprises several elements with competitions for teams of six butchers, young butchers and apprentice butchers.

There are also individual prizes for best pork, lamb, beef, poultry and products and beef, pork and gourmet sausages.

In addition, the judges will select six butchers from all entrants for a ‘best of the best’ world team award.

During the competition, teams will be given three hours and 15 minutes to butcher a side of pork, side of beef, a whole lamb and five chickens. The meat will then be presented in a display.

The team is supported by co-ordinator Chris Jones, head of the food and drink business unit and training officer Frank Selby, both from Cambrian Training Company, Welshpool, which organises the Butchery WorldSkills UK competition.

A busy schedule of training days has been arranged by the team in the lead up to the competition.

Chris said: "We are now ramping up the training days to every other week in the run up to the competition in September. We are also researching product development and hope to call on the expertise of the Culinary Team Wales, after it has competed in the IKA Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart next week, to bring their ideas onboard.

"This competition will provide our butchers with a platform to compete against the best in the world.”

The team is still seeking sponsors to support the team’s quest for world glory. For more information, contact Chris Jones on Tel: 01938 555893 or 07811 266597 or email: chrisjones@cambriantraining.com