Celebrating a diverse industry at the Institute of Meat and Worshipful Company of Butchers Annual Prizegiving

National Craft Butchers were proud to sponsor an award at the IoM/WCB Annual Prizegiving, applauding the achievements of butchery apprentices, their employers and training providers. Over one hundred guests gathered at Butchers Hall to celebrate the winners.

Though the meat industry is age-old this years’ prizegiving proved that attitudes certainly aren’t – as more than half of the apprentice winners this year were women.

Presiding over this prestigious event was Institute of Meat Chief Executive, Keith Fisher (F.Inst.M), with current Master of the Worshipful Company of Butchers, Andrew Parker, presenting the awards.

The twelve category winners were:

AWARD	WINNER	EMPLOYER	SPONSOR
Best New Apprentice	Emily Jackson	Westmorland Family	Windsor Food Machinery Limited
Best Retailer Butchery Apprentice	Emma Guillemer	Provenance Village Butcher	National Craft Butchers
Best Independent Retailer Apprentice	Daniel Figg	J.F. Bishop	Dalziel Limited
Best Multiple Retailer Butchery Apprentice	Adam Howarth	Morrisons	IoM (Paul Edkins Memorial Cup)
Best Meat Processing Apprentice	Jessica Kellaway	ABP Guildford	Oakfield Foods Limited
Best Abattoir Worker/Apprentice	Willem Borst	Morrisons	ABP Food Group
Best Apprentice Showing Management Potential in a Manufacturing Environment	Vincenza Cesano	ABP Guildford	Worshipful Company of Poulters
Best Meat Apprentice Showing Real Management Potential	Mia Tamburrini	Morgan’s Butchery	British Meat Processors Association
Lord Graham Endeavour Award	Amelia Dayson	Firths Quality Meats	Meat Trades Journal (William Reed)
Best Company Training Scheme	Cranstons		IoM (Kenneth Jenkins Cup)
Best Training Provider	Crosby Butchery Training		WCB (Fred Mallion Bowl)
Champion Meat Apprentice	Mia Tamburrini	Morgan’s Butchery	Meat Management (Yandell Media)

The category winners each received a cheque for £250, a framed certificate and a years free membership of the Institute of Meat.

The overall winner, ‘Champion Meat Apprentice of the Year’, Mia Tamburrini, received a winners trophy and certificate, a years free membership of the IoM plus an additional cash prize of £500.

‘It gives me great pleasure to receive so many nominations, and read about so many talented young people, especially at a time when our industry is being tested yet again. Like the meat industry, our winners will need to be resilient in the years ahead. Today’s award, when combined with hard work and determination, could be the springboard to many future successes.’

Keith Fisher commenting on the event and winners

Five highly skilled butchers were also recognised on the day by being awarded Institute of Meat accredited Master Butcher status. They received their awards from Institute of Meat Chairman, Bill Jermey, who first developed the IoM Master Butcher accreditation as a means of recognising excellence in the field of butchery skills and knowledge.  

They were:

Steven Russell (MB.Inst.M)	Booker Group
Letitia Redfern (MB.Inst.M)	Booker Group
Gary Levey (MB.Inst.M)	Sparsholt College
Anthony Davies (MB.Inst.M)	Dunbia
James Hutchinson (MB.Inst.M)	Sofina Foods Ltd

‘Butchers applying for Master Butcher accreditation are serious about their craft. They submit themselves to a rigorous four-stage assessment process, during which they must impress not only the Institute of Meat but also independent moderators. Taking months from start to finish it is not for the faint hearted, but the Master Butchers recognised today are all deserving of the title. I heartily congratulate them.’

Bill Jermey commenting on the Institute of Meat Master Butcher accreditation

Other awards given during the prizegiving were: Best Company Training Scheme, which went to Cranstons, and Best Meat Training Provider, collected by Crosby Butchery Training. ABP Commercial Manager, Dave Smith, was awarded ‘Fellow’ of the Institute of Meat and lastly, outgoing ftc Board Chairman, John Proctor, was given an Honorary Fellowship.

For more information about the prize-giving or how to nominate an apprentice, please contact Sheryl Horne at the Institute of Meat, info@instituteofmeat.org