Player pleases judges with double Smithfield Award

Martin Player, HCC’s Butcher’s Club member based in Cardiff, has won both HCC sponsored Best Welsh Lamb product and Best Welsh Beef product at the prestigious Q Guild Smithfield Awards.

In total the Whitchurch-based butcher received eight gold awards and rounded off a great day by adding two coveted diamond awards for the regional Welsh categories.

“I'm really delighted to win and to play a part in reinforcing the high quality of Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef products on a UK stage,” said Mr. Player. “We're really chuffed to have won the Best Welsh Product awards with our Welsh Lamb with Rosemary & Honey Sausages and the Best Welsh Beef with Flat Iron Steak with Red Wine & Shallots, both of which are really popular with our customers.

“It's really nice for our work to be recognised by awards like these,” he said.

His awards were presented by TV celebrity Chef Monica Galetti at Ironmongers Hall, London. Ms Galetti, the first female sous chef at Michel Roux Jr’s Le Gavroche in London, is a familiar television personality as the presenter and judge on BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals.

“HCC’s Butcher’s Club is making a reputation for itself with its rapidly growing collection of top award winners and Martin’s achievements are fully deserved given his dedication to his work and his customers,” said Laura Pickup, HCC’s Market Development Manager.

The Smithfield Awards are open to all Q Guild members throughout the UK.

“I’m proud to be a member of both the HCC Butcher’s Club and the prestigious Q Guild, which only has 108 members throughout the country,” said Mr. Player.

“Q Guild of Butchers has a reputation for unsurpassed product quality, provenance, innovation and customer service. Retailers which carry the Q Brand need to be approved at regional level before undergoing a thorough independent audit,” he said.

Q Guild Chairman, Alnwick butcher Mark Turnbull, said: “Smithfield Awards remain among the meat industry’s most esteemed accolades and all recipients know that they have an outstanding product or products and have been found to be among the best of the best.”