Holbeach butcher Ben Tindale raising money for trip to California for butchery Olympics

A Holbeach butcher is making two speciality products to help raise funds for the trip of a lifetime - when he represents Team GB at the butchery Olympics this summer.

Ben Tindale, manager at G Shearer & Son Butchers in Dam Gate, is part of the six-strong team competing in the World Butchers’ Challenge.

The event takes place in Sacramento, California on September 2 and 3, when he will line up against his peers from across the globe who will all be hoping to claim the title of world’s best.

“I’m really excited about the trip and the competition – it really is a dream come true,’ said Ben.

“I’ve been training with Team GB for a while, but the final team has only just been announced and to make it into the final six is fantastic. It definitely feels a lot more real now!”

The bi-annual WBC began as a contest between butchers from New Zealand and Australia but has rapidly grown, with this year’s event featuring 15 teams from countries including Brazil, South Africa, Bulgaria and USA.

There are categories for apprentice butcher and young butcher, but Ben will be competing in the team event, where members are given a side of beef, a side of pork, a whole lamb and five chickens to transform into a themed display of value-added products in three hours and fifteen minutes.

Ben will be one of the teams two ‘finishers’, whose responsibility it is to add the final garnishes and put the whole display together.

Since announcing his participation he has been approached by several customers who wanted to support him - so he has designed two speciality products to raise funds to help cover Ben’s costs.

From now until he jets off, the shop is selling speciality homemade smoky bourbon pork sausages – which have a sweet, smoky flavour – and Louisiana beef truffles, with a cheesy barbecue sauce, the profits of which will go towards his trip.

Each team taking part in the event will be marked on technique and skill, workmanship, product innovation, overall finish and presentation by a panel of independent judges.

Team GB was fourth last time and now Ben and his teammates are hoping they can go one better by making it into the medal positions.