AWARD-winning Irymple Butchers staffer Seth James-Reed has earned accolades at the Meatstock festival in Bendigo.
Competing in the Australian Butcher Wars last weekend, Mr James-Reed was named the best young butcher, and third best butcher overall.
The 21-year-old was up against more than 15 butchers from around Victoria, who were asked to prepare a display using half a lamb and a middle of pork.
“You’ve just got to make as many value-added products as you can make out of it, and just see how creative you can be,” Mr James-Reed said.
“I got the most points scored for a person under the age of 25 in the competition.
“We’re judged off speed, creativity, cleanliness … it was a tough competition, there was a lot of great up-and-coming young butchers and a lot of old dogs as well.”
Seth started working as a butcher as a 15-year-old, and within two years he came second in the Australian Meat Industry Council’s Apprentice of the Year.
In that competition he had three hours to make a display, while the most recent contest was more high stakes; he had only 30 minutes.
Alongside an easy-carve leg of lamb, a rack of lamb and a rack of pork, he presented a rolled pork belly with cherry tomato, red pesto and mozzarella, a rolled lamb loin with sun-dried tomato, feta and spinach, lamb riblets with a “butcher’s axe” rub, and a rolled forequarter lamb with local citrus, and a jalapeno and garlic rub.
“It was a big challenge but it was really good,” he said.
“It’s certainly something I’m willing to introduce into the shop if people are interested in it.”
