THE country’s best butcheries were announced last week, as nominated by their customers and audited against a 212 point checklist. Five butcheries in Port Elizabeth and one butchery in Uitenhage have won provincial awards.
The best butcheries both nationally and regionally were announced at a luncheon held in Johannesburg last week, attended by senior members of the meat production and retail industry, award finalists, judges and media. This is the 13th year that the Cleaver Awards, which are proudly supported by Freddy Hirsch, were held.
Uitenhage’s Cuyler Butchery, owned by Leon Slabbert, won a Platinum Cleaver Award as the top butchery in the Eastern Cape, in the category for butcheries having four and more till points. This is Cuyler Butchery’s 5th Cleaver Award (2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017).
Butcheries cannot enter themselves, they have to be nominated by their customers.
Over 30 000 public nominations were received via SMS or online.
Of these, 105 finalists were individually and anonymously assessed against a 212 point checklist.
One of the guest speakers at the Awards ceremony was Rudi van der Westhuizen, Executive Director at The South African Meat Industry Company (SAMIC), a quality assurance company which was created by the Red Meat Industry of South Africa to ensure the quality and safety of meat.
The Cleaver Awards were launched to improve the quality of the end product, especially with regard to hygiene, consumer quality assurance, service and value for money.
Butchers were judged according to three categories, namely: 1. Butcheries with four or more till points; 2. Butcheries with three or fewer till points and; 3. Food market/Supermarket butcheries. -REPORTER
