UK International Competitors 2015

CHRIS RILEY and PETER RUSHFORTH have been selected to represent the United Kingdom (UK) at the International Young Butcher Competition (IYBC) taking place in Holland later this month.

Both twenty two year old Assistant Manager Chris working for WALTER SMITH at the Wyevale Centre in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and twenty year old Peter from SWANS FARM SHOP in Mold, Flintshire have competed together before. When in 2014 Chris won the title and Peter finished Runner up in the Premier Young Butcher Competition at the NEC, Birmingham in March last year.

Recognised throughout the World as the leading competition for 18 – 23 year old European butchery apprentices, the IYBC six category, two day event in Utrecht this year promises to be the most challenging and fiercely fought to date with a ‘surprise’ category introduced for the first time in the competition’s history between elite teams representing Austria, Germany, Holland, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Both Chris and Peter with third UK team member GEORGE PARKER of Frank Parker Butchers in Nuneaton Warwickshire have been undergoing intensive training preparing for the competition in Ready to Eat, Seam Butchery, Barbecue and Kitchen Ready products since March with tuition from UK Team Coach, industry consultant Viv Harvey assisted by ‘Orange Butcher’ Marco Peerdeman.

The team will be travelling to the competition taking place on the 21st and 22nd of September with Viv and UK Judge, AHDB (Pork) Butchery Development Manager and Chief Executive of the Institute of Meat, Keith Fisher.

The announcement came at the end of a two day final training session held at Leeds City College (Print Works Campus) when the team was joined by Premier Young Butcher 2015 Lucy Crawshaw of Taylors Farm Shop in Lathom, Lancashire and this year’s Premier Young Butcher Runner Up Joe Smith from Lishman’s of Ilkley, Yorkshire who will train with George for the competition next year.

The International Young Butcher UK Team organised by the NFMFT is sponsored by ABP (UK), AHDB Beef & Lamb, AHDB Pork, DALZIEL, the INSTITUTE OF MEAT (IoM), LEEDS CITY COLLEGE, ORANGE BUTCHER, RAPS (UK), WEDDEL SWIFT and the WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BUTCHERS.