Butcher off to compete in ‘Olympics of Meat’
Gillespie will compete in Sacramento New focus for Little Rosebuds Early Learning Centre
Local butcher Brad Gillespie is set to compete at the World Butchers’ Challenge, held at the Golden 1 Centre in Sacramento, California, on September 2-3.
The Golden 1 Centre is an NBA stadium that the Sacramento Kings play in, and the competition is set to draw a large audience. “This is going to be unlike anything I have ever done before,” says Brad.
He is representing New Zealand in the World Champion Young Butcher event — which Brad says is a “curtain raiser for the World Butchers’ Challenge, who compete the next day as a team”.
This is a butchery competition of epic proportions featuring butchers from throughout the globe, and with 14 countries battling it out for the title of the world’s best, it’s often referred to as the “Olympics of Meat”.
“We are going to be going head to head with some of the best butchers in the work, which is very exciting,” says Brad.
The challenge for Brad is to cut up, add value and display half a lamb, a pork loin with the belly on, a beef rump and two chickens. Judges will be looking at the contestant’s speed, hygiene and safety, creativity, quality of the cuts, final display and cooking knowledge.
Brad grew up in Kihikihi and attended Te Awamutu College.
“I did not want to be a butcher, because my dad was a butcher.
“But I was working at McDonald’s
Little Rosebuds Early Learning Centre, which has been open for a year, vows to continue its work improving upon the site at 1 North St, and curriculum.
The centre has previously been named Baby Bears and Mini Miracles. However, the new centre manager, Rebecca Fitzell says, it has been “renamed, revamped to give it a fresh look and create a new environment”.
Little Rosebuds caters to children who are 3 months to 6 years. Rebecca is now offering a month of free childcare upon enrolment.
“The current children we have are perfect, the eight new enrolments over the last five weeks that have settled in nicely. You would not know that they have just started. That comes down to the experience that our staff has and knowing the child while having communication with wha¯nau,” says Rebecca.
An open day is to be held on September 10, from 11am to 1pm. This event is for families who are interested in seeing the work being done within the centre. There will also be a sausage sizzle on offer.
There are birds and fish at the centre that the children love to interact with during their time there.
There are three new staff members working at the centre, two are qualified and experienced teachers; one of whom has returned to work at the and I had enough of that, so I asked Dad for a job and he said ‘only if I do a butchery apprenticeship’; I wasn’t too keen — but I did it and I’ve never looked back,” says Brad.
Through his apprenticeship, he discovered he had a passion for the work. “I did not think I would enjoy it, but with all the different things you can do, I became really keen on it,” says Brad.
Brad was given this opportunity to represent New Zealand after winning the National Butchery Competitions. He has competed for the past six years, and in the past four years, he has made it into the grand finals.
Brad was runner-up in 2019 and 2020, this cemented his place on the New Zealand team.
Brad lives in Te Awamutu and works at New World Rototuna. Working there has opened him up to new challenges and skills.
“I have been practising a lot, I just want to put it all out on the table.”
New World Rototuna has been immensely supportive of Brad through this journey. “The meat that is used for practising for the competition is sold at New World, so my boss is happy for me to practise while I am at work.”
In this year’s upcoming national competition, Brad will be working alongside William Nicholas who works for Expleo Butchery in Te Awamutu, and Chris, one of his butcher apprentices from New World Rototuna.
For those looking to follow Brad, updates will be posted to the Retail Meat New Zealand Facebook page. centre after being here under different management five years ago. “I really enjoy coming to work in a nice small team of teachers and it very much feels like my second home,” says Rachel Rapley. The other staff member is in training.
Centre teacher Claire Grant says the environment is “lovely”. Because she is new to the team, she has found that “it is a beautiful space to come into every day”.
Claire says she enjoys being able to add and implement things into the environment.
“Every morning when I walk in, they all come running up to the gate. To begin with, I was nervous about coming back to work with this age group, but I love it — and I love these kids,” says Claire.
She added that “a lot of dancing goes on and music plays throughout the day. They do a lot of mahi through their artworks. Bored children are going to be unhappy children, so if the children are happy that’s great”.
“I work by their social cues, some of them can’t talk but they still communicate through body language and we all follow their cues and try to keep their routines as close as possible to what wha¯nau want and what they do at home.”
Communication with wha¯nau is essential to the staff. When kids arrive, staff like to see how the child’s evening and the morning were for indicators of how the child’s day will be. The centre provides pamphlets for those who may be first-time parents who may not be sure what food is appropriate to be packing in their lunchbox. “We support them on which kai is healthy or allowed, due to choking hazards or allergies,” says Claire.
The recent Education Review Office’s recent review shows it is in the emerging indicator. This means it has met compliance and moved up a level.
“Things are looking Rebecca.
Rebecca is in contact with Te Awamutu up,” says
College in order for the tamariki to have the opportunity to visit the marae during the school holiday, “so that the children can foster the culture of Te Awamutu”.
One of the services Little Rosebuds Early Learning Centre offers is working alongside Te Awamutu Primary School to aid 4-year-olds with their transitioning to school, through the 45-minute Wednesday Wonderland Programme.
Rebecca takes the students there herself and gives the children an opportunity to meet the primary schools, other students and staff while doing activities. “This is to familiarise the children with what is expected of them at school,” says Rebecca.
Within the centre they host fundraisers; for instance, they have just raised money for Red Nose Day and are now looking towards fundraising for Daffodil Day. They also fundraise for other charities when they can. When fundraising for themselves, they do scholastics for internal costs.
“It would be nice to see more families in the community supporting their local early childcare centres and coming down to see what this centre has to offer their children,” says Rebecca.
For more information or to enrol contact Rebecca, 870 3000 or 027 355 3655.