Glossop butcher makes the cut

Mettricks butchers of Glossop has clinched a quadruple of gold awards in a prestigious craft butchery honours event.

Mettricks products were judged at an extensive judging session at the City of Glasgow College last month by respected industry professionals, journalists and foodies including Scotland’s National Chef and MasterChef The Professionals winner Gary Maclean. At the awards, the butcher picked up the four gold awards for new products, from variations on pie to their tandoori lamb chops.

More than 200 products were put forward by butchers from up and down the UK for evaluation in this year’s Smithfield Awards, organised by the prestigious Q Guild of Butchers. Mettricks are now off to London next month to see if their gold winning products will pick up the coveted Diamond Award, presented to the best of the best in each of the categories at the awards.

The diamond award will see products selected from the diamond award category enter into a cook-off, which will be judged by an esteemed panel of judges including renowned Irish butcher Pat Whelan. The future event will also see one butcher crowned as supreme champion and awarded the Smithfield Platinum Award.

The Smithfield Awards recognise and reward the best meat products from butchers across the UK, showcasing their craftsmanship, innovation, and skill.

We spoke more to John to find out more about how a butcher prepares their meat to a competition standard. “It varies for each competition, but for the lamb chops you have to present enough to fill two people and you have to have authentic seasonings and a good colour to the produce. So a combination of our Adams recipes and the staff following these have made the recipes authentic.”

With a plethora of new seasonings for their meats coming in thanks to new talent like butcher Adam, Mettricks are again proving that they are the go – to for quality produce. 

Speaking about the awards and the potential to get to supreme champion level, John said “we are thrilled to have won 4 gold awards from the esteemed Q guild of butchers. Congratulations to our staff for their hard work in developing these products and gaining national recognition. We are always proud to put the Glossop area on the map as a place to by our award-winning products and to shop at the many excellent independent retailers that surround us. Now its fingers crossed for London!”