The Break Down: Peter Baarda
In the lead up to World Butchers’ Challenge 2022, we’re (virtually) catching up with competitors around the world to see what they’ve been up to, what their game plan is for 2022 and how they’ve been keeping their skills sharp.
This is: ‘The Break Down’.
On a rainy morning in Auckland, I dialed into a Zoom call with Team Canada captain and founder, Peter Baarda (who was enjoying a sunny evening in Ontario!),
Although 2022 will be the first time Canada will compete in the WBC, you’re likely already familiar with the new team on the block after their takeover of our Instagram in early 2020 that resulted in a member of their team streaking in a college dorm in -40 degree weather to raise $100.00 for the Australian Bush Fires. The challenge put forth by a butcher in Australia that was following them on Instagram and we'll let you guess who was the cold but willing volunteer.
It’s safe to say that these guys are already set to be WBC legends...…Here’s Peter.
Peter, how long have you been a butcher?
I've been a butcher for 30 years! I started off working at a slaughter plant for 8 years, from there I moved to a more retail oriented setting doing high end, specialty cuts for chefs and restaurants, eventually purchasing my own shop J&G Quality Meats in Burlington, Ontario with my wife Keri. It's been an adventure!
And am I right in thinking that your shop has been around for 60 years?
That's correct, J & G has been in business since 1962 and I'm only the third owner. Jim and Gladys had it for 26 years, followed by Peter and Johanna for 28 years and I've had it for just over 5 years.
Aside from running your shop you also captain Team Canada. Can you give me a bit of history on your team?
We started up around the same time that the Belfast competition was happening (WBC 2018). My journey to competing started in 2014 though, I was managing at a meat plant that produced high volumes of meat for their grocery stores, nothing too fancy but lots of it. To raise awareness of the trade, Meat & Poultry Ontario (formerly OIMP) started Ontario's Finest Butcher Competition. I was on vacation at Disney World in Florida at the time and my boss, knowing that I had previously worked in higher end butcher shops, entered me into the competition. I won the "Ontario's Finest Butcher" title for 3 consecutive years.
I loved competing and was looking for a larger platform to promote butchery when I discovered the World Butchers' Challenge. I called Ashley directly as I could only find limited information about any Canadian team in WBC. She told me that there wasn't a Canadian team as of yet, was googling me as we spoke and told me "you'll do" and that I could start one.
And what was the process of putting together Team Canada like?
Well obviously I couldn't just pick five of my buddies, I opened it up to the whole country and Canada is a pretty large country! To spread the message that we were recruiting applicants, I used Instagram to get in touch with butchers I knew from British Columbia, Alberta, Prince Edward Island and Ontario to help me get the word out. We received 27 applicants which for the first year, I thought was pretty good!
Then we had to go through the process of selection pretty much virtually because we were scattered across the country. It turned into a case of "ok, send me a video of this, send me a photo of that" to see what they could do.
“ I met Taryn Barker and Elyse Chatterton and said ‘Oh man, they’re better than I am. For the sake of the team they should be the finishers.’ ”
Who did you end up with, tell me a bit about your team?
In the beginning when I put the call out, I knew I wanted to be a "finisher". I wanted my hands to be last to touch the product being displayed. Then I met Taryn Barker and Elyse Chatterton and said “Oh man, they're better than I am at this, for the sake of the team they should be the finishers"
Corey Meyer from Alberta was a perfect fit to work alongside me as a cutter and then we have Brent Herrington and Damian Goriup, who have also won Ontario's Finest Butcher- they're our boners. Dave Vandervelde is the alternate, he can step in anywhere he's needed if necessary.
We first met in Ontario in September 2019 for a team weekend to get to know each other, then again for our first official practice, where we received a huge sponsorship from Halenda's. That practice left a lot of questions and concerns. We met again in January 2020 in Alberta and really got a handle on what we could do- less questions and concerns. Our third practice was scheduled just before Canada was locked down due to Covid in March of 2020. Since then, we've been meeting on Zoom to keep up the WBC conversation and to occasionally share our team drink- Gin and Tonic! [Peter holds up a glass of Gin & Tonic]
“We do have a few tricks up our sleeve, things you won’t find in Sacramento or Europe or Down Under.”
Well surely you’ll have to get a gin sponsor before WBC 2022! How are you feeling about Sacramento?
I went for the Captain's Run in 2019 and met some incredible butchers so I was intimidated right off the bat. Rueben from the Heller's Sharp Blacks (NZ) and the Australian Steelers captain was there... Simon from Team GB...all of these guys I knew from social media and I thought “Oh man, am I even in their league? Where will Canada be in the standings?”
Oh look, it’s anyone’s game, it really is!
Well yeah, we do have a few tricks up our sleeve, things you won’t find in Sacramento or Europe or Down Under. A few things we have here in Canada give us a bit of a leg up… but that’s all I’m going to say about that!