At WorldSkills 2008, we find out where the meat on your plate comes from!

Marcus tells us how being a butcher is akin to being a surgeon. You need to know all the muscles and tendons of the animal and how to break the carcass apart to get the choice piece of meat off it.

About Meat Retailing:

Competitors are required to do a complete breakdown of carcass meat into primary and secondary cuts. They will be cutting beef, lamb, pork and chicken.

On the third day competitors are required to present to the judges 4 manufactured products out of chicken, for example, chicken kiev.

About Marcus:

Marcus completed year 12 and always wanted to be a cabinetmaker, but when he couldn’t find work after he finished school he found an advert for an apprentice butcher and decided he’d like to try that.

Marcus’ grandfather was a butcher in England and when he moved to Australia he had to be retrained as the standard was different and he wasn’t allowed to practice as a butcher out here until he did.

As Marcus works in a supermarket, where all the meat comes ready to be packaged and presented, he has been harassing both his boss and other local butchers to get practice in breaking (pulling the carcass apart) so he can be at the same level as the other competitors.