After going knife-to-knife with a record 12 other countries at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, The Butcher Wolfpack of Germany were named the best butchers in the world at this year’s World Butchers’ Challenge, also known as the ‘Olympics of Meat’. 

The team of six butchers from Germany were awarded gold and received the coveted Friedr. Dick Golden Knife Trophy at an awards ceremony held at Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento tonight. The Makani Australian Butcher Team were awarded silver and the Hellers Sharp Blacks of New Zealand were given bronze. 

Team Captain of Germany, Dirk Freyberger said, “It’s hard to describe this feeling. It’s the end of a long, hard time training for this event. For us, it was so important to show the world our craft butchery and we did just that.” 

The eighth World Butchers’ Challenge event – presented by Gascon Cattle of Bench Creek Ranch and Promega Food – welcomed newcomers Canada, Wales, Iceland and Portugal to this year’s competition making it the largest in its history. 

Each team had just over three hours to turn a side of beef, a side of pork, a whole lamb and five chickens into a themed display of value-added cuts, requiring superior carving, boning and finishing skills; whilst injecting their own creativity and innovation into their final lineup.

Head Judge, Todd Heller from New Zealand, said, “Germany deserved this win. They showed immaculate teamwork, finishing skills and showcased innovation throughout their products. Best of all, we saw them come together and enjoy this competition.”

Also taking place this weekend was the World Champion Butcher Apprentice & Young Butcher competition with Gauthier Detres from Team France Boucherie taking out the Young Butcher category and Matt Tyquin from The Makani Australian Butcher Team announced as the 2022 World Champion Butcher Apprentice.

The best six butchers, selected from all teams competing, were named as the All Star Team – setting themselves apart as the ‘elite’ amongst close to 100 other butchers. They are:

• Simon Taylor (GB) – CAPTAIN
• Paul Hamilton (Ireland) 
• Gianni Giardina (Italy)
• Christophe Ip Yan Fat (France)
• Michel Moser (Germany)
• Tom Bouchier (Australia)

The World Butchers’ Challenge aims to showcase skill and innovation in the butchery trade and as such a number of other accolades were awarded. 

• WBC Devro’s World’s Best Beef Sausage: Germany & USA (JOINT)
• WBC Devro’s World’s Best Pork Sausage: Ireland 
• WBC Devro’s World’s Best Gourmet Sausage: Germany 
• WBC World’s Best Pork Product: Great Britain 
• WBC World’s Best Lamb Product: Italy 
• WBC World’s Best Beef Product: France 
• WBC World’s Best Poultry Product: Italy 

This is the first time the World Butchers’ Challenge has taken place in the USA with Sacramento aptly hosting the competition ahead of their annual Farm-to-Fork Festival kicking off this month. 

For more information on the competition including the full history and team bios, visit worldbutcherschallenge.com.

The 2022 World Butchers’ Challenge is proudly sponsored by Gascon Cattle of Bench Creek Ranch and Promega Food, Devro, Friedr. Dick, Pure Black Beef, Cushman & Wakefield, Llano Seco, Markstein Beverage Company, Mary’s Free-Range Chicken, Minipack, Pacific Seafood, Stemple Creek Ranch, Superior Farm and Verne Maranda & Sons.