Echoing a key theme of National Apprenticeships Week, the Institute of Meat (IoM) and Worshipful Company of Butchers (WCB) Prizegiving this year demonstrated better than ever before how the meat industry is a welcoming place for all.

Butchers Hall was packed today (29^th February) with over a hundred guests who joined together to applaud the achievements of the winning apprentices. Of those winners not only did women make up over fifty percent but also two-thirds of the total number were over 25 years of age.

And of course any top achieving apprentice needs a supportive employer and dedicated training provider behind them. The IoM/WCB’s Prizegiving commended these too, as IoM Chief Executive Keith Fisher, together with Master of the Worshipful Co, Chris Wood, presented awards to the following category winners.

The most prized apprentice award, Champion Meat Apprentice, sponsored by Meat Management magazine, was won by Helena Akroyd of Craggies Farm Shop, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. Helena received a winner’s trophy and certificate, a years free membership of the IoM plus an additional cash prize of £500.

Champion Apprentice Helena Akroyd with The Master, Chris Wood

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

Commenting on the prizegiving, Keith Fisher said,

When we launched the awards over 30 years ago our intentions were to provide formal recognition of butchery skills and to keep the craft of butchery alive. I’m proud to say that I think we’ve played our part in achieving much more than that. Not only do we have a new generation of butchers respecting the traditional craft of butchery, but one that is making it their own. Butchery is now a hotbed of innovation, some of it driven by the very people who have been recognised over the years at our prizegiving.’

It’s also becoming ‘cool’ to be a butcher, whatever your age, gender, or background. Butchers are increasingly being recognised as artisan craftspeople. Who’d have thought it?’

In addition to the apprentice awards, seven accomplished butchers were also granted their Institute of Meat Master Butcher accreditation (MB.Inst.M) today. These butchers received their IoM Master Butcher certificates of accreditation from Bill Jermey, Chairman of the IoM, who said,

I’m delighted to see these talented butchers join the prestigious ranks of Institute of Meat Master Butchers. Every year we receive a number of applications. Not all make it; the assessment process is by intention rigorous, so they have done very well indeed and are a credit to the industry. They demonstrate real mastery of the art, from field to fork.’

IoM accredited Master Butchers 2024

IoM Accredited Master Butchers February 2024

The final award given on the day was to Danny Upson, Retail Butchery Sales Director, Dalziel Ltd, who was awarded a Fellowship of the Institute of Meat for services to the meat industry.

Danny Upson with Bill Jermey and The Master, Chris Wood

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