WBC All Star Series: Meet Paolo Desbois

As part of a new blog series, we’re profiling the exceptional butchers selected for the WBC All Star Team, a group of individuals recognised not only for their skill, but for the way they represent the values and future of the global trade. Each feature offers a personal insight into their journey, motivation, and hopes for the industry. To view the full team list click here.

The WBC All Star Team is made up of butchers who represent the highest standards of skill, creativity, and dedication to their craft. Each brings a unique perspective to the global community, showcasing the diversity of butchery as both a trade and an art form. From France, we are proud to introduce Paolo Desbois.

For Paolo, being named to the All Star Team is the realisation of a long-held goal. “This is the title I was pursuing: artistic creation and display garnish, to highlight my working style and the vision I had of the French butchery,” he reflects. He is grateful to his teammates for giving him the freedom to express his ideas in the conception of the display, pieces, and their placement, and sees this recognition as a celebration of both individual artistry and teamwork.

His journey to the All Star Team was shaped by the World Butchers’ Challenge itself, where he competed among 14 nations. Paolo describes the experience as “very enriching,” and one that went far beyond competition results. For him, the true value lay in the exchange of ideas, the inspiration drawn from different cultures, and the sense of belonging to a global butchery family.

Looking ahead, Paolo sees the greatest opportunity for the profession in the refinement of butchery itself. He believes events like the WBC inspire new techniques, cuts, and ways of working that allow the craft to evolve while responding to changing consumer expectations. He also points to the growing importance of local food, short supply chains, and quality meat as opportunities to strengthen connections between butchers and the communities they serve.

But with opportunity comes responsibility. Paolo highlights the biggest challenge as adapting to more responsible consumption, with customers increasingly seeking to “eat less but better.” For butchers, this means ensuring transparency, especially around the origin of meat, and providing direct, trusted links from farm to plate.

When asked what advice he would give to a young butcher, Paolo stresses the breadth and richness of the profession. Far beyond simply cutting meat, he describes butchery as “the art of piecing, preparation, customer relations… there’s skill, creativity, and a lot of human contact.” It is this variety, he believes, that allows people to find their own path and flourish in the trade.

Behind the artistry, however, lies a discipline that is sometimes overlooked. Paolo reminds us that success in butchery requires as much rigour as passion. “It’s not just about cutting meat: it’s about precision, consistency and a real sense of service. You have to know how to listen, transmit, adapt… and sublimate each piece.”

With his blend of artistry, rigour, and vision, Paolo embodies the qualities that define the WBC All Star Team, celebrating the heritage of French butchery while helping shape the future of the craft on a global stage.