Excitement is building for a major showdown between the rockstars of Australian butchery at Beef2024, in an important warm up for next year’s World Butchers’ Challenge (WBC) in Paris, France.
Considered the Olympics of meat preparation and display, the WBC has grown from the inaugural Trans-Tasman Test Match between Australia and New Zealand in 2011, to a contest between teams from 16 countries competing for the coveted F. Dick Golden Knife Trophy.
At Beef2024, the Makani Australian WBC team of Garreth Gorringe, Brett Laws, Craig Munro, Tom Bouchier, Troy Wheeler, Luke Leyson and Gary Thompson will participate in a few warm-up sessions and a friendly showdown, across 10 demonstrations, a sausage competition and a dinner during the week.
See the team showcase their world-leading skills and help them shape the strategy they’ll take to France by voting in the Best Beef Bangers competition on Brighter Super People’s Day (Monday, 6 May). Visitors to Beef2024 can vote for their favourite mince which, along with the winning sausages, will be re-created at the competition in Paris.
How WBC works
WBC competitors are presented with a side of beef, a side of pork, a whole lamb and five chickens, and given three and a half hours to transform them into a themed display of value-added products. Teams are allowed to innovate with seasonings, spices, marinades and garnish, but the final products must be cookable and suitable for retail sale.
Independent judges score each entry on technique and skill, workmanship, product innovation, overall finish and presentation, and there are also competitions for the World Champion Young Butcher and Butcher Apprentice.
At the previous WBC 2022 held for the first time in the USA, the ‘Food, Glorious Food’ entry of the Makani Australian Butcher Team clinched the silver medal behind Butcher Wolfpack Team Germany with gold. Australia took home gold when Matt Tyquin won World Champion Butcher Apprentice and silver for Gareth Hunt in the World Champion Young Butcher.
Butchers looking forward to first Beef Australia appearance
Australian team spokesperson, Shannon Walker, said the WBC dinner will pit the team members butchers against each other in a boxing ring for three, 30-minute ‘rounds’.
“It’s everyone’s first time at Beef2024 so we want to provide plenty of action-packed fun. We’re really looking forward to networking with beef producers, because as butchers we don’t always get to meet them,” Shannon said.
He’s tipping Germany as the team to watch in the WBC next year, as well as ‘dark horse’ Iceland, but says anyone can win.
In the past seven competitions, the title has been won three times by New Zealand, twice by Australia and once by France, Ireland and Germany. Belgium, Romania and Spain will compete for the first time in Paris and Indonesia becomes the first Asian country to be represented, with a competitor in the World Champion Young Butcher category.
It’s not only the winners who are grinners though – the WBC has sparked lifelong friendships in the global meat community, unlocked business opportunities and boosted the trade through an injection of creativity and innovation.
To learn how to see the Makani Australian World Butchers’ Challenge team in action at Beef2024 go to https://beefaustralia.com.au/beef2024/entertainment/demo-kitchen/