Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition Announces Top 3 Finalists

Waterloo, ON, September 11 - Thirteen of Ontario’s top butchers showcased their extraordinary skills during Monday’s elimination round of the Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition, vying for a spot in the grand finale. Scores were calculated, and the top three finalists were announced, moving forward to the final round.

Competitors had thirty minutes to transform a fresh pork bone-in leg, bone-in butt, and bone-in loin into merchandisable cuts of their choice. Judges evaluated each competitor on technique, degree of difficulty/efficiency, skill level in boning, trimming, and cutting, as well as the creative use of primal cuts and overall financial performance.
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The top three finalists moving on to the grand finale on October 25, 2025, at Blue Mountain are (in no particular order):

• Sulaiman Hakimi of Halenda's Fine Foods
• Rakesh Khadoo of Conestoga Meat Packers Ltd.
• Dylan Miedema of Townsend Butchers Inc.

The elimination round took place on September 8 at Handtmann Canada. The 700 lbs of pork, generously donated by Conestoga Meat Packers, Breslau, was packaged by Handtmann Canada and delivered to Second Harvest Food Rescue.

About Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition
Ontario’s Finest Butcher Competition is a prestigious event that celebrates the exceptional quality and craftsmanship of Ontario's butchers. Organized by Meat & Poultry Ontario, the competition brings together talented butchers from across the province to showcase their skills.

About Meat & Poultry Ontario (MPO)
Meat & Poultry Ontario (MPO) is the heart of Ontario’s meat industry. Our members are independent businesses proud to serve the communities they live and work in. The association is comprised of meat and poultry processors, wholesalers, retailers, industry suppliers, and not-for-profit organizations supporting MPO’s objectives.
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Ontario’s meat and poultry sector employs 25% of Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry - the single largest manufacturing employer in the province - and generates $11.2 billion of the province’s $45 billion food and beverage processing industry revenue.
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Contact:
Hang Nguyen
Communications Specialist, Meat & Poultry Ontario
(519) 763-4558 x227
[email protected]
www.meatpoultryon.ca
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