Steve Toms winnerr of Ontario’s Finest Butcher 2020 with his mother Angie Toms
Steve Toms of Fortinos in Hamilton, Ont. has received the title of “Ontario’s Finest Butcher” after winning a meat cutting competition hosted by Meat & Poultry Ontario (MPO).
“It’s an amazing honour to represent Fortinos and artisans from Ontario in a skilled trade that is now starting to come back to the limelight.” says Ontario’s Finest Butcher winner Steve Toms. “Great work by Meat & Poultry Ontario on organizing a competition to inspire more people into this trade for years to come.”
The theme for this year’s final ‘black box’ round was ‘Deja Food’ and Toms along with fellow finalists had 30 minutes to transform two ducks, a leg of veal, and a pork bone-in loin, to prepare several remarkable-looking, display-ready items.
The Ontario’s Finest Butcher competition was started seven years ago to showcase the profession and recognize the level of skill found in butcher shops and meat plants across the province. Twelve competitors from across Ontario faced off in an elimination round (held on September 14) to determine the top three finalists.
