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MEGT butchery apprentice Jimmy Nevill, has just taken out the highest accolade in his field after being named the Victorian 2015 Sir William Angliss Australian Meat Industry Council Apprentice of the Year.
The 21-year-old, a third-year apprentice at Albert Street Butchery in Ballarat, Victoria, competed against seven other butchery apprentices from across the state.
The competition tested apprentices on work health and safety practices, presentation and hygiene, and knowledge and cut. The toughest part of the day was the mystery box – a box of mixed meat and vegetables, designed to test the apprentices’ ability to produce a high-quality range of meat products.
Jimmy, whose father, grandfather, and uncle all work in the meat industry, credits the knowledge and experience he has gained throughout his apprenticeship for his success in the mystery box round.
“I’d never done anything like that before, but I just thought of things we did in the shop and that I’d seen in magazines and tried to make them as best I could,” he said.
It came as no surprise to Albert Street Butchery store owner and employer Danny Wayn that the mystery box was where Jimmy impressed judges with his innovation and variety.
“Jimmy has a good eye for presentation and catches onto things well,” a proud Danny said.
Jimmy was delighted to have taken out of the tough competition. “It’s very special, I’m very proud,” he said.
Jimmy will now compete in the Brisbane-based national championships in February and if successful, will move on to take part in the international competition in Germany.
