British Beefeaters 2020 WBC team announced
The six butchers who will represent Great Britain at the World Butchers’ Challenge 2020 to be held in Sacramento, California, USA have been named.
In a special announcement at Dalziel’s North West Butchers’ Show in Chorley recently, it was revealed that all six representatives of Team GB who competed in 2018 will return to prove they are a cut above the world’s best.
Team GB, called the British Beefeaters, has been named as (from left to right): Bryce Lawson, McMurchie Meats, Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham; Mark Ramsay, Falleninch Farm Butchers, Stirling; Tom Wood (captain), Tom Wood Artisan Butchers; Jessica Leliuga, Ye OIde Sausage Shop, Oswaldtwistle, Lancs; Michael Dufton, Knitsley Farm Shop and Simon Taylor, Surrey Hills Butchers, Oxshot.
It was also announced that Team GB’s support network for 2020 is expanding, with a new team manager Steve Derrick of Lucas Ingredients and master butcher Viv Harvey as new team coach.
Steve takes over from Dalziel’s Danny Upson who becomes Chairman, whilst Keith Fisher returns as UK judge advising the team.
“We were very pleased to announce at Dalziel’s Show that the team is staying together. They make an incredibly talented team who are all successful butchers in their own right. They worked phenominally hard this year, the standard of entries was exceptional, and it was extremely close between the top five, so to raise the bar will be even tougher. But we’ll be looking to push ourselves even harder, we’re already planning for 2020 and we’re out to prove our butchers really are among the best in the world.”
WBC 2018 saw Great Britain take the coveted Best Beef Product title for its ‘British Beef Cake’, a split marrow shin designed for slow cooking in a casserole.
Meanwhile, Team GB is calling for entrants into the World Champion Butcher Apprentice & Young Butcher contests, which take place prior to the main event.
Entrants for the Butcher Apprentice challenge must still be enrolled in training with a registered training provider as of 1st March 2019.
And Young Butcher entrants must be under the age of 31 as of 1st March 2019.
Heats are expected to start in May 2019 with entrants working alongside Team GB in practice.
Danny added: “This is an opportunity of a lifetime for young butchers to join Team GB in Sacramento, and a chance to win the title.”
Team GB sponsors already signed up for 2020 are retail butchery specialist Dalziel, Lucas Ingredients, The Institute of Meat and The Worshipful Company of Butchers.