Smithville meat merchant ready to slice through the competition at World Butchers’ Challenge

Some of Dave Vander Velde's most wonderful" memories take place in a butcher shop.

A second-generation butcher, the Smithville man spent hours working late nights with his father at the family's butcher shop in West Lincoln.

Each evening, Vander Velde learned new skills and tricks from his father, before eventually moving on to work in abattoirs around the region.

A shoulder injury nearly put him out of the industry, but a mix of boredom from his career change and a love for the business pulled him right back in.

It's just something I've always been passionate about," said Vander Velde. It's such a great community."

Come September, that fervour will be on full display as he represents both Stoney Creek's VG Meats and Canada at the World Butchers' Challenge at the Golden 1 Centre in Sacramento, Calif.

Vander Velde is a longtime butcher and retail manager at the Upper Centennial Parkway store.

The competition will see more than a dozen teams from across the world - including from Brazil, Wales and Ireland - go head to head, showcasing their talents.

During the challenge, each team will be made up of six people and will have breakers, trimmers and finishers - Vander Velde is an alternate, meaning he has to be prepared to jump into each of those roles.

Over the course of just over three hours, they will have to prepare four different proteins - including a side of beef, a side of pork, a whole lamb and five chickens.

That includes cutting and finishing the meats, making sausages, plating their final display and cleaning up.

The teams are then judged on factors such as team work and technical skills, as well as their ability to utilize the entire animal and minimize waste.

Everything needs to be used," said Vander Velde. If there is stuff leftover, we'll get penalized for it."

All of the final products will then be donated to local food banks at the end of the competition - a change from years prior.

Vander Velde said he would have never applied for the team without the encouragement of Kyle Van Groningen, who heads up the retail operations for the family-owned company.

And after a lengthy application process, which included virtual assessment and cutting assignments, he was chosen to compete.

VG Meats has been wonderful," said Vander Velde, who has worked at the company for more than five years. They've supported me throughout this whole journey - whether that be hosting our first practice or allowing me to take the time needed for the team."

But Vander Velde admits the competition is more than just a chance to show off the skills he's been developing for more than 25 years.

He also sees the event as a chance to learn from some of the best in the industry.

I just love meeting new people and being inspired by other butchers," said Vander Velde. As much as it is for me to go out there and do my best, it also gives me an opportunity to see what other butchers are doing."

He is also hopeful that the event will also help attract younger people to the trade - which has long dealt with labour shortages.

Even as a seasoned meat merchant, Vander Velde has never grown tired of the sense of pride" he finds in cutting rib-eye steaks that can feed families and make at-home chefs look like rock stars."

It's just something I've always loved," he said. And it's really fun."

Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com