Apprentice Butcher A Cut Above The Others

Illawarra Mercury

Friday September 22, 2006

By COURTNEY TRENWITH

FIGTREE'S Clive Loach has been named the top apprentice butcher in NSW by the Australian Meat Industry Council.

The 20-year-old is a third-year apprentice at Bush's Meats at Westfield Figtree.

He is top of his course at West Wollongong TAFE, and this year the TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute named him best third-year and best overall apprentice.

"I was amazed. I didn't know I was going to win (the state award)," Mr Loach said.

"I started at 15 washing up at the butcher shop at Shellharbour, then an apprenticeship came up and I asked if I could have the job and they said 'yes'.

"I like the stable career (and) I like to create new products. Serving customers is probably one of the best things, trying to find out what they need and what they are going to do so we can give them the right meat."

Mr Loach hopes the award will help him become a manager.

His sister Karen was the first female head of a Woolworths meat department in Australia.

© 2006 Illawarra Mercury

Back to News Index | Back to Home