To celebrate quality and excellence in the meat industry, the community is encouraged to take to the polls and vote for their favourite butcher in this year’s Cleaver Awards.
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An initiative of the Red Meat Industry Forum, the Cleaver Awards is an annual competition.
To learn more about the awards and how the butchery is preparing the Bedfordview and Edenvale NEWS met with Harry Karamichael of Karaglen SuperSpar and master butcher Marius Jordaan.
Twelve-time Cleaver Award-winning Karaglen SuperSpar’s butchery will be one of the thousands of butcheries to compete nationally for the coveted title.
Harry explained the awards recognise the top butcheries and butchers in South Africa. This is based on quality, service, hygiene and value for money.
Harry said although butcheries can enter, community members need to nominate the business for the awards by voting for them.
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Once nominated the butcher is anonymously audited by The South African Meat Industry Company.
Each store is marked on criteria, separated into the categories of quality, service, hygiene and value for money.
Stores have to keep invoices to show traceability and keep a checklist which includes meat temperature and hygiene practices at the butchery.
Speaking about their preparations, Harry said they welcomed the community into the store with online campaigns while sharing information about the awards with them.
In-store, Karaglen is getting customers involved by hosting various demonstrations, showing them how to prepare recipes and ingredients and providing tasters to shoppers.
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In terms of the store’s facilities, Harry said improvements and upgrades are made by bringing in new machines such as dip tanks and a new Freddy wors machine.
“Interesting about that wors machine is that it uses a gelatine,” said Harry.
“It’s halal, kosher, vegetarian and eco-friendly.”
Continuing with upgrades, Karaglen continued to upskill and train its staff about hygiene.
“Staff training has been very important. We received the e-learning certificate through Spar because of our training.”
Marius, who has a passion for his trade, has been at Karaglen since 2000. Coming from a family of butchers Marius has been a butcher his entire life.
Because of his passion for his job, any new staff brought to Karaglen first go through the butchery department.
“We train a lot of people from scratch,” explained Marius.
Speaking about how the awards have changed over the years, Marius said they have become tougher.
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Marius believes this is because more butcheries are entering the awards and seeking the title.
To support Karaglen SuperSpar on its journey to claim the Cleaver Award, visit their social media pages.
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