12 CRAFTBUTCHER l APRIL 2017


DOWN WITH THE KIDS AND OFF TO IPSWICH


YOUNG BUTCHERS COMPETITON


Holland and Switzerland at the International Young Butcher Competition in Imst, Austria in May. Aſter Dylan and James


had tidied up and helped Windsor Food’s Glen Kirton down to the van with the equipment it was time for a couple of alcohol free drinks in the Bishop’s Finger on West Smithfield. Ten it was off to meet Team Coach Viv Harvey at the hotel in Claydon on the outskirts of Ipswich for two days of training. Arriving Tuesday


James leſt and Dylan right making sausage


THE UK International Young Butcher Team of Dylan Gillespie and James Taylor impressed hundreds of young people from schools and colleges in and around London and the Southeast, showing their skills making ‘Continental’ style meat products and Cumberland sausage in London’s ancient Guildhall last month. Te event, hosted by


Livery Schools Link in the ‘Old Library’ on Monday 20th March, provided an opportunity for the Worshipful Company of Butchers (WCB) and dozens of other City livery companies all eager to demonstrate “their involvement in the modern world by showcasing their trades and professions”. Other livery companies present represented Architects, Bakers, Bankers, Barbers, Clock Makers, Goldsmiths and Saddlers etc. Te event also highlighted apprenticeship opportunities to teachers and students of all ages from dozens of schools and colleges in and around the capital. For Dylan and James this


provided an opportunity to demonstrate their skills making meat products and sausages with Chicken, Beef and English pork supplied by J F Edwards (Smithfield)


Ltd. Minced and mixed with seasonings and filled into casings from Smithfield sundries man Tomas Ford Ltd, with equipment provided by Windsor Food Machinery before being cooked and sampled by eager visitors of all ages. Tis followed the successful


five-day trip to the SVO Specialist Meat School in Best, Holland in February. Where


am at Jane Dale’s Meat Ipswich Ltd training facility in Ipswich Jane started with a rundown of ‘housekeeping’ rules, a tour of the facilities and a brief history of M.E.A.T which she helped to establish with late husband John Croxford in 1989 to pioneer ‘on site’ butchery apprenticeship training in England. With ten staff, Managing Director Jane continues


fish as well as short courses in HACCP, level 2 Allergy Awareness, level 2 and level 3 Food Safety. Plus 1-4 day ‘Be A Butcher courses’ for ‘foodies’ and chefs looking to upgrade their skills. Down to work and having


spent the previous day making BBQ, Kitchen Ready and ‘Main Course’ products, Dylan and James set about practising Ready to Eat with pies. One or two issues with


making and rolling pastry caused a bit of cracking on the tops, but even so, aſter the clock turned the hour Dylan and James had made creditable products within the timeframe. Aſter a lunch of home-


made Moussaka and Fruit salad, courtesy of Jane Dale, one of each of the pies went into the oven to cook, cooled overnight and assessed the following day. A little scorching around


Great skills displayed at Guild Hall


Dylan and James got one to one tuition in ‘continental’ techniques made possible with extra funding from the WCB. Te ‘Livery Showcase’ was good practice in front of an audience, under pressure with limited facilities, for the two to prepare to compete against other elite apprentices from Austria, France, Germany,


to develop the business with the company motto ‘Professionalism, Enthusiasm and Pride’. A tribute to John as founder of one of the best fresh food training companies in the UK. Now, 28 years on with more than 200 apprentices, M.E.A.T runs level 2 and level 3 Advanced apprenticeships in meat and


the top and a bit too much apricot, making the layers of Pork and Black Pudding disproportionate with the fruit, meant James’s Lincolnshire Pork, Black Pudding and Apricot Pie was more a fruit pie with meat than a meat pie with fruit! However, the Pastry was even and with a bit of attention to the glaze and less Apricot the pie would have been just right! Dylan’s ‘Paddy Pie’ made


with smoked Ham Hock, Chicken and Spinach on the other hand had even layers and would have been perfect, had it not been for a slightly undercooked pastry base, so a bit more work to do there with


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