A 16-year-old apprentice proved to be a cut above the rest as he gave the defending champion and two other rivals the chop in the final of the Welsh Young Butcher of the Year contest.
Tomos Hopkin, 16, from Ponty Butchers, Pontardawe, who has only been employed in the butchery industry for three months, impressed judges with his skills and traditional clean cuts of oven ready Welsh pork.
His reward for winning the contest, held at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Builth Wells on Tuesday, was a £200 cash prize, a special trophy and the honour of being the best young butcher in Wales.
"I just couldn’t believe it when they announced the result, said Tomos. "I was ecstatic. It was my first competition, so I didn’t know what to expect and I was so nervous at the beginning, my hands were shaking.
"Because of my lack of experience, I just managed to finish in time. My ambition is to open my own shop to sell meat from my father’s farm."
Runner up was defending champion Gareth Cole, 21, who works for his father, Paul, in the family butchers business at Neath Market. He received £100.
Disappointed not to have won the competition for the third year in a row, he congratulated Tomos and pledged to return next year with the aim of regaining the title.
Third was Jason White, 20, from G. J. Butchers, Tregaron, who was runner up last year and fourth was Stephen Gray, 19, from Rikki Lloyd Butchers, Welshpool. Jason received £50 and Stephen £25.
The competition, launched four years ago to showcase butchery skills, is organised and sponsored by award winning training provider Cambrian Training Company based in Welshpool and supported by Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales.
Arwyn Watkins, Cambrian Training Company’s managing director, praised all four finalists for their display of quality cuts of pork, but reserved special praise for Tomos.
"Tomos only started his Foundation Modern Apprenticeship in Retail Butchery Skills three months ago yet to watch him work, you would think he had been in the industry for years," he said.
"He worked methodically and produced really clean cuts with no waste. His father is a pedigree Welsh pig breeder, so it was fitting that he should win by presenting a range of oven ready cuts of quality Welsh pork for the retail market.
"He has a great future in the industry, his family is very supportive and hopefully he will progress to other competitions."
The judges were Nick Davies, a director of WelshMeatOnline based in Welshpool, Gareth Evans, manager of Celtic Pride and Graham Titchener, Hybu Cig Cymru’s marketing executive and a trained butcher.
Mr Titchener said: "It is essential that we support our young Welsh butchers who are the future of the industry. Local butchers not only provide excellent quality meat, but the expert advice and service they can offer is invaluable."
