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Grand final for Mangawhai apprentice

 

BY ROB POOLEY

Dylan Thompson butcher-925Long gone are the days when breaking down a side of beef or boning out a side of bacon constituted a butcher, who would wrap an order lovingly in brown paper and hand it over the counter, often including an extra sausage for a special customer. 


Nowadays our meat men are much more sophisticated in their knowledge and handling of their products, and also in answering the demands of their customers. Our eating habits have changed. The information highway has taught us about European and Asian cuisine. Presentation in display cabinets have become the shop window and there is also the demand for a better product from fast food outlets, so the whole meat industry has undergone a reawakening over the past 20 years or so. 

Mangawhai Meat Shop has answered the challenge, firstly through Rob and Wendy Klink, then son Dan and partner Ange, travelling overseas to learn how the rest of the world was treating their meats, preparing smallgoods and the quality necessary in supplying high end restaurants.

The boutique store is no stranger to awards, producing the nation’s best snag at the Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition in 2016.

Dan was also regional butcher of the year in 2016, so it comes as no surprise they have another top product in the form of apprentice butcher Dylan Thompson, who has won his way to the grand final of the RMNZ (Retail Meat NZ) Apprentice Butcher of the Year competition. His workmates are super proud and excited.

About to leave school, Dylan basically went door-knocking in search of a job. While admitting he was “always interested in knives”, work experience at Maungaturoto introduced him to butchery, then to an apprenticeship in Mangawhai where he is now in his second year.
“He has a good work ethic, and he listens to what he is taught,” says boss Dan Klink of the 18-year-old. “His results speak for themselves.” 
Dylan’s keenness is undeniable as he makes an hour-long daily trip to work from his home in Ruawai.

The qualifying competition comprised the preparation of beef, pork and chicken cuts with particular attention paid to ingenuity in cutting, garnishing and presentation. 

The grand final will involve a practical cutting test taking two hours and includes bench set up, preparation of ingredients, garnishes and display. There will be no compulsory cuts, all contestants will be provided with a size 16 chicken, boneless beef rump and a pork loin and will have free rein to create what they wish. Under close scrutiny by the judges, contestants will be marked for safety, hygiene, speed and efficiency, yield and knife skills, display, product produced and cooking instructions of product. This will be followed by a multiple choice exam and interview.

The winner will receive an all expenses-paid trip to the next international butchery study tour, a trophy and a knife set. The runner-up wins a cash prize and knife set.

We wish Dylan the best of luck and hope he can emerge a cut above the rest.

The grand final will be held at Shed 10 on Auckland’s waterfront, Thursday September 6.


Commitment and work ethic have earned a grand final berth for apprentice butcher Dylan Thompson.

 
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