Leeds butcher is new Yorkshire president

Leeds butcher Andrew Green is the new president of the Confederation of Yorkshire Butchers Councils.

Andrew, of Wilsons Butchers in Crossgates, takes over from outgoing president, Ilkley butcher David Lishman.

One of his key roles during his year in office is to host the confederation president’s annual dinner dance of the eve of the 24rd annual Great Yorkshire Pork Pie, Sausage & Products Competition, at Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford, which this year takes place on Sunday, November 4.

Andrew and his brother John established the Austhorpe Road shop in 1985 and have since opened new pie shops in both Morley and Armley, along with a production bakery in Garforth.

Wilsons Butchers remains one of the best-known pie makers in the country, regularly producing and selling over 10,000 pork pies a week, as well as running a thriving online mail order business at “www.wilsonsbutchers.co.uk”:www.wilsonsbutchers.co.uk

Wilsons has won numerous accolades in the meat industry awards arena, being named the best butchers shop in England in 2005, also being crowned National Barbecue Champion. It regularly enters the Great Yorkshire competition, winning prizes for its pork pies virtually on an annual basis and lifting the small pork pie championship three times between 1999 and 2007.

Wilsons is a long-standing member of the national Butchers Q Guild, which represents some of the country’s leading independent meat retailers ““ the Q stands for quality.

Andrew said: “The Great Yorkshire is the UK’s biggest and best-known regional contest for meat men and women, attracting hundreds of entries from all over the county. All winners, supreme and reserve champions in particular, receive a major boost to both their profiles and sales.”

Farm shops and bakers who make products on their own premises are also eligible to enter. There are three pork pie classes for traditional, stand and speciality cold eating pies, and three sausage classes ““ thin, thick and speciality, plus standalone championship classes for black puddings and beef burgers.

A ‘New Kid on the Block’ class for the best newcomer to the competition is designed to encourage new blood to enter and gain valuable experience in the meat trades competition arena. Full details are at “www.greatyorkscomp.co.uk”:www.greatyorkscomp.co.uk