Cromwell butcher Capri Woods has carved her way to the grand final of the Anzco Foods Butcher Apprentice of the Year competition.
The regional competition, held in Christchurch over the weekend, drew butchers from around the South Island.
Capri Woods, from FreshChoice in Cromwell, will represent the lower South Island region at the grand final in Auckland on November 3.
Miss Capri, who is in her third year as an apprentice, said she was excited about her win in her second year competing for a place in the final.
‘‘This year I really focused on my strength of clean cutting and keeping my display simple rather than concentrating on the gourmet side of things,’’ she said.
‘‘Now in the lead-up to the final, I would like to focus more on the gourmet cuts and use the time to widen what I can do.’’
The competition was one of four regionals being held in a national series to find New Zealand’s top butchers.
Contestants put their skills to the test by boning, trimming, slicing and dicing their way through a two›hour competition.
Head judge Peter Martin, the butchery training adviser at Skills4Work in Auckland, said he saw a very high standard of work across the competitions over the weekend and was impressed with the high standard from the apprentices.
‘‘It is great to see some of the apprentices who are competing for the first time doing an amazing job and lifting the overall standard of the competition,’’ he said.
The national winner will receive a trophy and an all-expenses paid trip to the next World Butchers’ Challenge in 2024, where they will have the opportunity to represent New Zealand.
