In a packed Paris stadium filled with patriotic fervour and flags from 16 nations, a baying crowd joins the countdown to begin the competition. At the bell, each man in a team of six unsheathes his knife and seizes a carcass of beef, pork, chicken or lamb. It is “the Olympics of butchery”, also known as the World Butchers’ Challenge.
“The atmosphere was electric this year, especially with the addition of the Belgian team,” Australian competitor Tom Bouchier said. “They brought air raid sirens with them, the French had hundreds of apprentices there with horns blowing. It was just exactly like a European soccer match.”
The contest unfolded over almost four unrelenting, sweat-inducing hours, during which meat was transformed into the finest of culinary creations. It was a slightly incongruous sight with brawny butchers producing exquisitely delicate, artistic meat dishes. “It’s like Master Chef on steroids,” Mr. Bouchier’s sister, Danielle Bouchier, said.
Teams provided their own seasonings, spices, marinades, and garnishes to finish products which had to be eye-catching, easily cooked, and suitable for retail. Melbourne gourmet butcher Troy Wheeler said his role in the team was to add value. “So I get given some different proteins, whether it be chicken, pork, beef, and lamb,” he said.
Independent judges scored each team based on technique, skill, workmanship, product innovation, and the overall finish and presentation. Master butcher Peter Bouchier was in Paris to cheer on his son Tom. He said the competition was full-on. “They’re judged on the speed and the cleanliness of the bones and the percentage of waste, and they’ve got to use everything up,” Peter Bouchier said.
The latest World Butchers’ Challenge was the biggest and best yet, a far cry from its humble beginnings in a paddock in 2011 when it was only between Australia and New Zealand. At the last world challenge held in the United States, the Australians were pipped into second by the German team, which was the favourite to win again this year.
But it was the French home side that took the honours, with the Germans placed second and the Australians coming third. Third-generation butcher and challenge fan, Ashley Haynes, watched a live stream of the event from Finley in southern New South Wales, where he ran a retail butcher shop. “For our Aussie boys to go across there and finish third is just an amazing effort, to play away, an away game on their terms, using their equipment and their produce, yeah, just phenomenal,” Mr. Haynes said.
“Australia’s full display table at the World Butchers’ Challenge in Paris featured dozens of products meticulously crafted for presentation, flavour, and retail appeal,” Danielle Bouchier said. “It’s not really looked on to be a very glamorous industry, so anything that showcases the talent and the artistry that butchers put into their craft [is positive],” she added.
The six butchers representing Australia hailed from various states, so practicing as a team was not easy. On the eve of departure for Paris, final practice plans were blown away, quite literally by Tropical Cyclone Alfred. “It was going to be a bit of an open training session at a lamb expo that was up on the Gold Coast,” Tom Bouchier said.
But their slicing skills and artistic flair did not suffer for it. Team member Brett Laws, a retail butcher from Miranda, a southern Sydney suburb, was named in the world all-star team. A similar honour was bestowed on Tom Bouchier. It was the sixth time Tom had represented his country in the competition.
He hoped to be selected for a seventh. “Coming back to try and win again, would be great,” Mr. Bouchier said. “Being able to wear the green and gold and carry the Australian flag brings a great deal of pride.” The World Butchers’ Challenge is not just a competition but a showcase of skill, passion, and innovation in the butchery industry, inspiring butchers worldwide to push the boundaries of their craft.
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