Priors of West Lynn butchery apprentice Daniel Powell celebrates national award win at London prizegiving event

An apprentice in butchery has been recognised at a prizegiving ceremony.

Poultec Training has announced that their apprentice, Daniel Powell has been named Best Retail Butchery Apprentice 2025, at the Institute of Meat (IoM) and Worshipful Company of Butchers Annual Prizegiving. The event was held at Butchers’ Hall in London.

Daniel, who works with Priors of West Lynn, competed against apprentices from around the country. He was presented with his certificate of achievement by the IoM chief executive, Keith Fisher, and John Allton Jones, master of the Worshipful Company of Butchers.

He was also awarded a £250 cheque and a year's honorary membership of the IoM.

This longstanding event is a firm fixture in the meat industry calendar and seeks to recognise and celebrate the achievements of apprentices, their training providers, and employers.

Nominations are carefully considered by the IoM and industry experts. On the day, achievement awards are given in twelve categories to apprentices and organisations from across the country.

The prizegiving is also the event where the award-winning apprentices witness a select few highly accomplished butchers receiving Institute of Meat accredited Master Butcher (MB.Inst.M) status.

Commenting on this year’s awards, Keith Fisher, himself a fourth-generation Master Butcher, said: “It is a proud moment for Daniel and Poultec Training.

“Our awards are not given lightly, only to those who demonstrate exceptional promise. Indeed, several of the UK’s most talented and successful butchers were once IoM award-winning apprentices themselves.

“We are also celebrating the fact that the butchery apprenticeship, launched here in Butchers Hall a decade ago has recently been formally updated.

“Effectively, this means that the craft of butchery has now been ‘future-proofed.’ Employers and apprentices can be confident that it will deliver the skills needed in every butchery business today, and tomorrow.”

Michael Bayle, from Poultec Training Ltd, who trained Daniel Powell said: “We are proud of Dan for his achievement. Winning this award is a testament to his dedication, hard work, and passion for the craft of butchery.

“The IoM awards are highly respected within the industry, and it is wonderful to see one of our apprentices recognised on such a prestigious platform.

“At Poultec Training, we are committed to delivering the highest quality training, ensuring our apprentices develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in this invaluable industry.

“Seeing Dan excel at a national level reinforces the importance of high-quality apprenticeship programmes for the next generation of butchers.”