Last week saw the announcement of the best butcheries, both nationally and regionally, in the latest Cleaver Awards. The awards, launched in 2005, are an initiative of the South African Red Meat Industry Forum and have seen butchery standards significantly improve and consumer feedback indicate that the awards are seen as a seal of approval.
Butchers were judged according to three categories; butcheries with four or more till points, butcheries with three or fewer till points and food market/supermarket butcheries. The winners in each category received Platinum Awards and the runners up Gold Awards.
Region | Award | Butcheries with three or fewer till points | Butcheries with four or more till points | Meat Markets | National winners | Gold | West End Vleismark Kimberley | Berliner Grill and Deli Northriding | Super Spar Newton Park Port Elizabeth |
| Platinum | Frank's Meat Middelburg | Boma Vleismark Moreleta Park | Super Spar Malmesbury |
| | | | |
Limpopo | Gold | | Vleis lapa Groblerstraat Polokwane | |
| Platinum | | Vleis lapa Marshallstraat Polokwane | |
Mpumalanga | Gold | Alan's Butchery Kerkstraat Ermelo | | Saveway Super Spar Witbank |
| Platinum | Kanhym Fresh Meat Deli Middelburg | | The Grove Super Spar Nelspruit |
Free State | Gold | Koepel Vleismark Parys | Biltong & Braai Kroonstad | Checkers Langenhoven Park Bloemfontein |
| Platinum | Sparta Butchery Welkom | Fredilia Meat Welkom | Pick n Pay Preller Walk Bloemfontein |
Eastern Cape | Gold | Heydenrychs Sydenham, Port Elizabeth | | Our Super Spar Walmer Port Elizabeth |
| Platinum | Hansons Mount Pleasant Port Elizabeth | Crave Meats East London | Sunridge Super Spar Port Elizabeth |
Northern Cape | Gold | Smitties Quality Meat Kuruman | | |
| Platinum | Kokis Meat Market Kimberley | | |
North West | Gold | Beesland Vryburg | Goudkop Slaghuis Klerksdorp | |
| Platinum | Uitkyk Slaghuis Lichtenburg | Impala Vleis Brits | |
Western Cape | Gold | Stilbaai Slaghuis Stilbaai | | |
| Platinum | Tollies Slaghuis Hartenbo | Excellent Meats Elsiesrivier | Checkers Cape Gate Brackenfell |
KwaZulu-Natal | Gold | Grobbies Butchery Bluff Durban | Bluff Meats Bluff Durban | Super Spar Shelly Beach |
| Platinum | Dirks Butchery Glenwood Durban | Bluff Meats Pinetown | Checkers Hyper Pavilion Westville Durban |
Gauteng | Gold | Ziman Meats Randfontein | Hokaai Meat Centurion | Karaglen Super Spar Edenglen |
| | | | Pick n Pay Waverly Pretoria |
| Platinum | Roodt Meat Florida | United Muslim Butchery Mayfair | Uitkyk Vleis en Supermark Silverton |
Prizes
Winners in each national category received a R20,000 cash prize and a Platinum Trophy Award. The runners up received R10,000 cash prize and a Gold Cleaver Award Trophy.
All of the provincial winners received either a Platinum or Gold Cleaver Award Trophy in their category. Three consumers who nominated the three National Platinum winners each received a voucher for a R1500 hamper of beef products from the winning butcher.