At a gala ceremony on August 30, butcher Matthew Tykin won the Victorian Apprentice of the Year Award and the People's Choice Award.
Mr Tykin has had a passion for the meat industry since he started working at Ashburton Meats at the age of 15.
After completing a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences at La Trobe University, he decided to return to butchering and pursued a Certificate III in Meat Processing and Retail Butchery at the William Anglis Institute.
“It can't be real,” Taikin said after the ceremony.
Winning both awards felt amazing and winning the People's Choice Award made me realize how much support I have from my friends, family, and the entire community.
Mr Tyquin thanked his manager Paul Klooster, the team at Ashburton Meats and his mentor Peter O'Rourke from the William Angliss Institute.
“I am extremely proud that Matt won both awards,” O'Rourke said. “He has always given 100 per cent to every job he does and has worked hard for and with Paul, his employer at Ashburton Meats, to be the best butcher he can be.”
Minister for Skills and TAFE Gail Tierney congratulated all of the night's award winners, saying: “Each of you is making our world-class TAFE and training system stronger, better and available to all Victorians. “We are contributing to making it easier to use.”
Mr Tyquin previously won the title of World Champion Butcher Apprentice at the 2022 World Butchers Challenge.
He himself teaches apprentices and hopes to spread the slaughter industry to the younger generation.
“As the meat processing industry has evolved, butchery has come to be seen as a craft. The continuation of this tradition is one in which apprentice butchers like myself inspire interest and passion in younger generations, ensuring that the tradition continues. It’s about making sure it continues to thrive,” Taikin said.
“We hope that consumer promotion and education about where meat comes from will continue and that slaughterhouses will continue to create new value-added products to better utilize the whole animal,” he said. said.
Mr Taikin is currently in the running to represent Victoria at the Australian Training Awards in December.
