Isaac Webster, 31, will face counterparts from 13 countries at the World Champion Butcher Apprenticeship Tournament in California on September 2nd.
At the competition, the butcher breaks down in 150 minutes, adding value to the four types of meat. Half a lamb, hungry pork loin, beef rump, and two chickens.
“We know exactly what is in front of us.”
The carcasses of meat supplied to the competition will be larger than what New Zealand butchers normally work on.
“In the United States, as in most cases, everything is getting bigger.”
At competitions, carcasses of pigs weigh 30 kg heavier than normally encountered in New Zealand, lambs weigh about 10 kg, and chickens weigh about 2 kg.
He didn’t expect it to give them any advantage, despite many of the butchers who would compete with gaining more experience with larger corpses.
“I’m really confident in my abilities.”
Pre-warning of giant carcasses will ensure that the slaughter of larger beasts is not a burden.
“By knowing about it and preparing it, it will be okay.”
Butchers need to display their work on the table for judgment.
“I focus on one thing at a time — not the end result — I focus on what’s in front of me at the time, and for me it really works.”
As the corpse grew larger, he expected more meat trims to be used to make products such as hamburger patties and kofta.
He was planning and practicing the competition.
Before he took off in late August, the focus was on practicing to make each product perfect.
He thanked New World Garden employers Craig and Julie Broderick for their support, including giving them time and materials to practice.
He had already pre-ordered the ingredients to add value to the meat on the day of the competition and arranged for them to wait at the competition venue, the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
He will be the only Southerner to travel between butcher teams competing in other categories, including New Zealand’s top butcher team known as Sharp Black.
Sharp Blacks captain Riki Kelekele gave him feedback on his plans.
“It was really helpful.”
The turmoil in Covid-19 forced him to compete in the apprenticeship category, even though he qualified as a butcher last December.
The annual convention was last held in Ireland in 2018 due to the ongoing turmoil of Covid-19.
He said there will be a record number of participants this year.
“It would be good to go back to that.”