Hawke's Bay butcher Kieran Horsefield was a cut above the rest as he took out the title of Alto Butcher of the Year at the regional competition in Wellington.
Mr Horsefield, who works at New World Greenmeadows, will now go on to compete in the national grand final against winners from the South Island and upper North Island regional finals.
At the end of the day, when the cutting knives and cleavers were put away, Mr Horsefield put his success down to age in the competition which was open to all ages.
He said he wanted to set himself a challenge and see how his 30 years of experience stacked up against his peers.
"The competition was very close but I think what gave me a slight advantage was my maturity in the trade - perhaps having a little more experience allowed me to think on my feet and keep the nerves at bay.