Community & Business
11 April, 2025
Luke’s back-to-back wins
Darling Downs butcher Luke Thomas was crowned champion at the Meatstock Butcher Wars in Bendigo recently. This is a back-to-back win for Mr Thomas who received first place in the competition in New Zealand last month.
Twenty-one butchers competed for the Butcher Wars title in Bendigo on 15th March.
“It was a tough competition with so many amazing butchers and something I had to work extremely hard for to take the first place trophy,” Mr Thomas said.
“Winning back-to-back in Meatstock Butcher Wars was a dream of mine and I’m finally glad all the hard work paid off.”
After winning the competition in New Zealand, Bendigo was the next Meatstock destination after Toowoomba’s annual event was cancelled due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
He has a few busy months ahead of him with Meatstock in Sydney in May, and a trip to the World Butcher Wars in Ascot, London in June.
Mr Thomas completed his apprenticeship at Ashton’s Butchery in Pittsworth and now works at Millers Gourmet Meats in Toowoomba.
He was named National Apprentice Butcher for 2023, and placed second in two of the Meatstock Butcher Wars competitions in 2024.
His Butcher Wars record this year so far is two from two: can he make it a hat-trick and take home the crown in Sydney?
