With the clock now ticking to the World Butchers Challenge (WBC) on 30-31^st March, the Team GB Butchery board has announced their senior competing team – now completing the all-star line up for the Paris battle.

Pitting themselves against butchery titans from across the globe will be:

Ben Tindale Team Captain of the UK Lions, this will be Ben’s second WBC having competed as Vice-Captain in 2022. Ben is from South Lincolnshire and manages G Shearer & Son Butchers. His passion for butchery and product innovation has also led to partnership with seasoning manufacturer, Raps UK, and a brand ambassador role with Monolith Grills.

Richard Megahy Veteran of Simon Howie Butchers in Perth, Richard has also won ‘Scottish Butcher of the Year’ an astonishing five times! Competing in WBC will be a family affair for Richard as his son Ben also made the final cut, representing Great Britain in the apprentice category.

Steven Owens  General manager of acclaimed London butchers Lidgates, Steven has worked for some of the most prestigious names in the capital, including The Ginger Pig, Fortnum & Masons and HG Walter.

Ryan Tierney Ryan works for Kinnaird Butcherand Deli Shop in Larbert, a town in the Forth Valley of Scotland. Though no stranger to competitive butchery this will be Ryan’s first time competing on the world stage and he’s ‘looking forward to showcasing what we can do.’

Elsie Yardley  Butchery Manager at Great Garnett Farm in Essex, this will be Elsie’s second WBC, having competed in the 2022 event in Sacramento, which she describes as ‘one of the greatest achievements so far in my career.’

James Mitchell Hailing from a beef farm, James has an innate understanding of the quality of British meat. Assistant manager of award winning Cooper Butchers in  Bellshill, North Lanarkshire,  James says ‘it feels like a dream come true’ to be part of the UK Lions final team.

Patrick Millward, owner of JF Bishop of Uckfield, East Sussex, will be supporting the team as reserve. Patrick’s speciality is blending modern craft butchery with traditional to develop new product lines for his growing business.

Fourteen teams, from Great Britain to New Zealand will be travelling to Paris to compete in the WBC, which is described as,

‘The greatest butchery event on earth.’

The establishment of the first Team GB Butchery board last year aims to provide a solid foundation for British butchery to be represented on the world stage and promote the quality of meat produced in Britain. The board consists of representatives from The Dalesman Group, Scottish Craft Butchers, Q Guild, National Craft Butchers, Institute of Meat, AHDB, QMS, and Dalebrook.

Commenting on this, Martin Eccles, Trade Butchery Manager for AHDB, said,

‘It’s inspiring to see the meat industry coming together to support British butchery and our UK Lions squad as they prepare for World Butchers Challenge. On behalf of AHDB I’d like to wish them every success in Paris.’

Gordon King of Scottish Craft Butchers emphasised that the Team GB Butchery board’s ambition is to create ‘a legacy to ensure there will be a team flying the flag for British butchery at future WBCs and beyond’. To help make this possible, friends of the craft butcher community can support the team by donating on their GoFundMe page,  https://gofund.me/3503bfc9.

Also backing the UK Lions are the following sponsors and supporters: DB Foods, AHDB, QMS, The Dalesman Group, Crosby Training, Meat Ipswich, Angel Refrigeration, Verstegen, Weald packaging, Plumpton college Jarvis UK and RAPS. The board would like to thank all the sponsors, without whom there may not have been a UK entry this year.

Gold sponsor, DB Foods, said they are ‘delighted and proud to be supporting the Team GB Butchery Lions as Gold sponsors, and wish the team the very best of luck.’

Summing up the feeling of all involved in WBC they added,

‘Butchery isn’t just a skill, it’s an art.  From the skilled hands that carve each cut to the techniques that bring out the full flavour of every piece, this event is a tribute to the artistry behind the meat.’

Readers can follow the progress of the UK Lions by following the team on Instagram @teamgbbutchery, watching the event on the World Butchers Challenge YouTube channel, or even heading to Paris to cheer on the team in person.