PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate release
5 September 2007
Young butcher a prime cut above the rest
As Scott Reid proves, the art of carving a prime cut is still alive and well after being named New Zealand’s top young
butcher at the 2007 Young Butcher of the Year competition last night.
Scott, who works at Gate Pa New World in Tauranga, beat seven skilled competitors from all across the country to take
first place at the national final.
“I’m absolutely stoked with my achievement. This is the fourth year I’ve been in the finals, so it’s great to win this
time around, says Scott.
“Especially because the competitors this year were tougher than ever before.”
Now in its fifteenth year, the competition aims to recognise and celebrate the skills of New Zealand’s up and coming
butchers. All contestants must work at retail meat outlets.
The accomplished young finalists were put through their paces on a range of tasks, including practical cutting tests,
theory examinations, direct interviews and public speaking, with the winner being announced at a Gala Dinner at Sky City
last night.
“The win really shows the outstanding depth of Scott’s butchery skills,” says Stephen Macaulay, General Manager of the
Retail Meat Industry Training Organisation, the organisation running the competition.
“In fact the high caliber of all of this year’s finalists proves that such expertise is alive and well in New Zealand’s
retail meat industry.”
“This is great news for the industry and reflects the hard work that these young butchers put into their apprenticeships
firstly, and then as qualified butchers,” Mr Macaulay says.
The award is well recognised in the industry and many previous winners have gone onto forge excellent careers in the
retail meat sector and beyond.
Other place getters were:
2nd Place Matthew Brown The Mad Butcher, Lower Hutt Wellington
3rd Place Damian Walden Pak N Save, Henderson Auckland
Winner under 23 year olds Cees Groot New World, Pioneer
Manawatu
“It’s fantastic to the next generation of butchers working to keep the standards of service in our industry so high,”
says Mr Macaulay.
ENDS