49-year-old Yves-Marie Le Bourdonnec, often named as one of the luminaries of the slice-and-dice world of French butchery, along with his frenemy Hugo Desnoyer, has as many titles as there are ways to carve a cow: “the bohemian butcher,” “the king of butchers,” and, as he has called himself, “the angry butcher.” Simultaneously exalted and deemed an outcast, Le Bourdonnec was expelled in 2012 from La Confédération Française de la Boucherie, the French butchers’ federation, for proclaiming that British cattle breeds produce the best beef in Europe.

A Lincolnshire butcher has been named as the best butcher shop in the UK. Simpsons Butchers won the title at the Meat Management Industry Awards after the business was judged by experts.

RPC Promens Consumer Llantrisant has launched a series of PET bottles suitable for all types of sauces, condiments and toppings.

The new Mercury range combines high shelf impact with outstanding consumer convenience. The stylish curved design and glass-like clarity of the PET ensure that products are displayed to their best advantage, while the lightweight, easy-to-handle and squeezable bottles are ideal for home use.

The bottles are fully FDA approved and can be recycled after use. They are available in five sizes from 300ml to 920ml with a wide choice of standard closures, including headstand options.

RPC Promens Llantrisant can provide full technical support including assistance with filling trials.

The World Butchers’ Challenge 2018 is set to be the biggest global butchery competition yet, with the best butchers across the globe – Great Britain, France (current champions), Australia, New Zealand, USA, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Bularia, South Africa, Greece, Spain – competing for the world championship title.

This year’s competition will be hosted by Butchery Excellence Ireland, and takes place at IFEX 2018 on 21 March 2018 at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast. 

The World Butchers’ Challenge is designed as showcase of exceptional talent with the finest butchers being judged on technical skills, cookability of products, presentation, innovation and creative use of beef, lamb, pork and chicken products. 

The concept of the World Butchers’ Challenge is to develop an environment where butchers strive to exceed current industry practice in the areas of general workmanship, meat cutting, displaying and the creative usage of beef, lamb and pork product. 

The competition itself is conducted over three hours and fifteen minutes with teams given a beef side, a side of pork, a full lamb carcass and five chickens as the base ingredients. Teams are allowed to provide their own seasonings, spices marinades and garnish to finish product that are designed for a modern retail outlet. Teams also provide their own props by way of plates, bowls, signage etc.

Independent judges, one from each country, will judge and score the team based on butchery skill, workmanship, product innovation, overall finish, presentation and/or display.

For more info, visit https://www.worldbutcherschallenge.com.