The "Un des Meilleurs Apprentis de France" competition has 3 new winners
On Sunday May 26 and Monday May 27, 2024, the final of the "Un des Meilleurs Apprentis de France" competition was held in Arras. 23 young apprentices, qualified in their region, took up the challenge.
Every year since 1979, the competition has rewarded young apprentices in training. First departmental, then regional selections are organized to determine which young people will represent their region. This year, 23 candidates competed. For the first time since its creation, a representative from the French overseas departments and territories (DROM-COM) took part, coming from Réunion Island. A powerful symbol of young people's growing interest in the butcher's trade. Over the past 10 years, the number of apprentices has doubled.
The event, organized by the Confédération Française de la Boucherie, Boucherie-Charcuterie, Traiteur (CFBCT) in collaboration with the Boucherie du Pas-de-Calais union and the CFA d'Arras CFA, the French Butchers' Federation, in collaboration with the Pas-de-Calais Butchers' Union and the Arras CFA, wanted to showcase French butchery expertise.
A highly technical competition
The two-day competition is divided into four parts. As required by the MAF, the apprentice butchers had to perform a large number of high-level technical activities. The first part of the final was held on Sunday in the CFA laboratory in Arras. Between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., the candidates were put to the test on boning, cutting and trimming.
Back at dawn on Monday morning, the young competitors set about decorating their "meat masterpieces". Tying up pieces of meat and other meat platters were on the menu. Each candidate's proposals were then displayed and judged again by the jury. A jury made up of twelve people and two presidents.
In the end, there were three of them, three lucky ones to be awarded the title of France's Best Butchery Apprentice:
- Gabriel Perillat-Merceroz, representing the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region, from the "Noël" butcher's shop in Annecy.
- Gaby Hamard, representing Brittany, from the "Les Papilles du Boucher" butcher shop in Gosne.
- Pablo Garcia Barroso, representing the Île-de-France region, from the "DLR" butcher shop in Noisy-le-Grand.
Beyond the prestige of the title, it can be a real springboard for these young people. Perhaps we'll find one of them in the French Butchery Team, for the World Butchery Championship. The latter will be held in France for the first time in March 2025.
