Gifted Welsh butcher Ben Roberts has gained a bronze medal on the World Champion Butcher Apprentice competitors in Sacramento, California.
Ben, 30, from M. E. Evans Butchers, Overton-on-Dee, represented the Craft Butchery Crew Wales within the competitors on the World Butchers’ Problem, also known as the ‘Olympics of Meat’.
He needed to wait till an awards ceremony within the early hours of this morning – UK time – to find the consequence and was overjoyed to have completed within the high three. Ten apprentice butchers from across the globe competed, with the Craft Butchery Crew Wales making its debut.
“Wow, third on the earth,”
was Ben’s response after receiving his bronze trophy.
“I simply need to thank everybody who has backed and supported me via this unbelievable journey. An enormous thanks for the mega help from all of the lads within the crew, our sponsors and my household.
“It was an extremely powerful competitors and the talent stage, as you’ll count on for the ‘Olympics of Meat’, was very excessive. It was difficult with the variation in meat between the USA and UK, however I’m proud to have given it my all and have hopefully performed Wales proud.”
Within the crew competitors, which happened on Saturday, the Craft Butchery Crew Wales didn’t make it into the highest three on their debut however crew co-ordinator Chris Jones was pleased with the Welsh butchers. 13 nationwide groups competed.
“I’m tremendous pleased with all of the lads,”
he stated.
“They’ve all labored their socks off and did Wales proud within the competitors in opposition to one of the best butchers from across the globe.”
In his competitors, Ben had simply two and half hours to interrupt down a spread of primal cuts right into a show of pre-determined merchandise and their very own creations.
The crew competitors ran over three hours and quarter-hour, with competing groups given a aspect of beef, a aspect of pork, a complete lamb and 5 chickens which they have to then rework right into a themed show of value-added merchandise.
Unbiased judges rating every crew based mostly on method and talent, workmanship, product innovation, general end and presentation.
The competitors was hosted on the Golden 1 Centre in Sacramento and the awards ceremony was held on the metropolis’s Memorial Auditorium.
Shaped in 2020 and managed by retired butcher and skilled competitors decide Steve Vaughan from Penyffordd, close to Wrexham, the Craft Butchery Crew Wales is a division of the Culinary Affiliation of Wales (CAW).
Arwyn Watkins, OBE, president of CAW, stated:
“What a improbable achievement by Crew Wales of their very first world competitors. Though as a crew they didn’t make the highest three, we’re nonetheless ready to listen to the ultimate world rankings.
“With Ben securing a high three place, that actually signifies that we’re heading in the right direction and nicely positioned for the long run.”
The Craft Butchery Crew Wales includes Peter Rushforth from Revolutionary Meals Elements, Lytham St Annes, who’s captain, Craig Holly, from Chris Hayman Butchers, Maesycymer, Hengoed, Tom Jones from Jones Brothers, Wrexham, Matthew Edwards, a lecturer at Coleg Cambria, Connah’s Quay, Dan Raftery from Meat Masters Butchers, Newtown and Liam Lewis from Hawarden Farm Store.
Crew sponsors are Meals and Drink Wales, the Welsh Authorities’s division representing the foods and drinks business, Atlantic Service Firm from Newport, AIMS (Affiliation of Unbiased Meat Suppliers), Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales, Cambrian Coaching Firm, Revolutionary Meals Elements, M. E. Evans Butchers, Dick Knives and Tiny Insurgent.
