Visitors to the Fire & Feast Butcher’s Festival will take on three different tasks as part of the challenge. This includes deboning, the initial breaking down of the carcass into primal cuts of meat, as well as applying the finishing touches and finally preparing the meat for resale purposes.
“The participating butchers will be judged on three very distinct categories. Hygiene and safety come in at the top of the judges’ accumulative scorecards, followed by the marketability of the cuts of meat presented. In other words, points will be given to cuts judges believe would be best-sellers out in the marketplace. Lastly, the presentation and uniqueness of product formulation will set the winning team apart from their competitors,” explains owner and custodian of the National Butcher’s Challenge, Caroline McCann.
The Butcher’s Challenge was first created as a competition between Australia and New Zealand’s top butchers, but it wasn’t long before other meat-loving countries like England and France sharpened their knives and entered their leading contenders. “Now known as the World Butcher’s Challenge, it makes sense that we as South Africans, with our passion for meat, take our rightful place in the competition,” adds McCann.
“As part of the World’s Butcher’s Challenge, entrants are taken on a four-day tour by the hosting country to gain an understanding of the local meat-to-market value chain. Visits to farms and meat chains are staged and there is much learning that takes place among the participating butchers. What a wonderful opportunity it would be to showcase South Africa and our world-class meat products,” concludes McCann.
“Being the headline sponsor at the Fire and Feast Butcher’s Festival was an organic if not obvious decision - the meat industry is at the heart of Crown National,” says Dawid Muller, Commercial Executive, Crown National.
Be sure to watch our country’s leading butchers in action by booking your tickets through TicketPro. Prices are as follows:
• Adults: R100
• Pensioners and students: R80
• Ages 0 – 12: Free
