Young woman just a cut above rest

Kaitaia's Abigail Lane (nee Smith) from Pak'nSave Kaitaia won the Alto regional Young Butcher of the Year in Auckland on Saturday against strong competition, with each contender having to undergo an exam, an interview and a practical test.

The Butcher Apprentice of the Year regional title was won by another Pak'n Save employee, from Lincoln Road in Auckland.

Both will now compete in the grand final at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland on August 16.

Lane is no stranger to the competition, and is intent on taking out the national title after her second placing in 2012.

"After coming runner-up at the grand final last year, I knew I had to give it another go," she said. "As they say, if at first you don't succeed, try and try again."

Twenty seven-year-old Lane, the only woman in the inter-island competition, won the Auckland/Northland Regional Butcher Apprentice of the Year title in 2011 and completed her three-year butchery apprenticeship at Pak'nSave in November last year. Before butchery, she was a computer technician.

She said being female in a predominantly male environment had its advantages.

"I specialise in gourmet meat cuts and pastry. I put all the frilly, girly stuff on products like beef Wellingtons that the guys don't," she said.

The pressure will be on for the 10 regional winners, who will be subjected to a full day of intense competition, with no lack of incentive. Up for grabs is a study tour of the UK, where the winners will support the national butcher team, the Pure South Sharp Blacks, as they defend their title in the Butchery Tri Nations.

The competition is supported by Alto Packaging, Competenz, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Dunninghams, Hellers, Kerry Ingredients, New Zealand Pork, Wedderburn, Wilson Hellaby, Cabernet Foods, Natural Farm and Tegel.