Cleaver Awards 2018 Winners

Nominations were open between October and December last year for consumers around the country to vote and nominate their best butchery. Over 30 000 public nominations were received via SMS or online. Of these, 105 finalists were individually and anonymously assessed against a 212 point checklist, with some of the National Winners scoring up to 99,8 %. One of the guest speakers at today’s Awards ceremony was Rudi van der Westhuizen, Executive Director at The South African Meat Industry Company (SAMIC), a quality assurance company which was created by the Red Meat Industry of South Africa to ensure the quality and safety of meat. SAMIC is responsible for conducting all the provincial audits on the top nominated butcheries. Rudi reflected on the history of the Cleaver Awards. One of the reasons for starting these Awards in 2005 was the industry’s concern over legislation and quality of meat products once they reached the consumer. Legislation, including hygiene matters, were in place in the abattoirs and deboning plants with really high measurable standards, but once the carcasses or meat cuts left the abattoir premises, they were no longer under the jurisdiction of the Meat Safety Act. The Cleaver Awards were launched to improve the quality of the end product, especially with regards to hygiene, consumer quality assurance, service and value for money. Butchery owners and retailers have been instrumental in taking up the challenge to guarantee their customers a better product measured against the 212 point check list used to assess nominated butcheries. A trend which seems to be happening more and more each year is that franchise butcheries are winning multiple awards, another way these Cleaver Award winners are showing their commitment to service excellence for their customers. Kings Meat Deli Castle Walk, Erasmuskloof has won a National Gold Award and its Lynnwoodbridge branch has won a provincial Gold for Gauteng. Similarly, Boma Vleismark Olympus from Faerie Glen, Pretoria has won a National Gold Award with Boma Vleismark from Moreleta Park taking home a Platinum Provincial Award in Gauteng. Vleislapa Marshalstreet and Vleislapa Groblerstreet, both from Polokwane in Limpopo, have once again walked away with a Platinum and Gold Provincial Award respectively. A similar situation has taken place in Mpumalanga with Frank`s Meat Supply Retail City taking a Platinum Award and Frank`s Meat, Panorama Centre taking a Gold. In Durban, Bluff Meat Supply from the Bluff has once again been awarded Platinum with its Pinetown store awarded Gold. Spar Meat Markets continue to perform remarkably year on year, with 2017 being no exception. An initiative of the South African Red Meat Industry Forum, these Awards acknowledge butcheries which meet consumer expectations on in-store hygiene, the supply of quality assured roller marked South African Beef, their level of competency in offering the best advice on meal preparations and perceived value for money. Butchers were judged according to three categories:

1. Butcheries with four or more till points,
2. Butcheries with three or fewer till points and,
3. Food market / Supermarket butcheries

National Winners 4 and more tills Impala Vleis, Brits Platinum Kings Meat Deli, Castle Walk, Erasmuskloof Gold Up to 3 tills West End Vleismark, Kimberley Platinum Boma Vleismark, Olympus, Faerie Glen Gold Meat Markets The Grove Superspar Riverside, Nelspruit Platinum Karaglen SuperSpar, Edenglen Gold Gauteng 4 and more tills Boma Vleismark, Moreleta Park Platinum Kings Meat Deli, Lynnwoodbridge Gold Up to 3 tills 1. Country Meats, Fourways, Jhb Platinum 2. Forsmay Butchery, Fordsburg Gold Meat Market Uitkyk Vleismark, Silverton Platinum Tony`s Meat Market, Randfontein Gold Limpopo 4 and more tills. Vleislapa, Marshalstreet, Polokwane Platinum Vleislapa, Groblerstreet, Polokwane Gold North West 4 and more tills Goudkopslaghuis, Klerksdorp Platinum Up to 3 tills Uitkyk Vleismark, Lichtenburg Platinum Mpumbalanga Up to 3 tills Frank`s Meat Supply Retail City, Middelburg Platinum Frank`s Meat, Panorama Centre, Middelburg Gold Meat Market Crossing Superspar, Nelspruit Platinum Saveway SuperSpar, Witbank Gold Free State 4 and more tills Fredilia Meat, Welkom Platinum Power Meat Centre, Welkom Gold Up to 3 tills Country Meat, Kroonstad Platinum Meat Market Checkers Hyper, Fleurdal, Bloemfontein Platinum Northern Cape 4 tills and more Angus Butchery, Kuruman Platinum Up to 3 tills Koki`s Meat Market, Kimberley Platinum Eastern Cape 4 and more tills Cuyler Butchery, Uitenhage Platinum Up to 3 tills. Continental Butchery, Newton Park, PE Platinum Marinda Butchery, Westering, PE Gold Meat Market. Sunridge Superspar, Sunridge Park, PE Platinum Our Superspar, Walmer, PE Gold Newtonpark Spar, Newtonpark, PE Gold Western Cape 4 and more tills Excellent Meat Market, Elsiesriver Platinum Fairfield Meat Centre, Parow Gold Up to 3 tills Tollies Slaghuis, Hartenbos Platinum Hartman & Son Butchery, George Gold Meat Market Malmesbury Superspar, Malmesbury Platinum Plattekloof Superspar, Plattekloof Gold Kwazulu-Natal 4 and more tills Bluff Meat Supply, Bluff, Durban Platinum Bluff Meat Supply, Pinetown, Durban Gold Up to 3 tills Dirks Meat Market, Durban North Platinum Michael Freys Fresh Meat, Shelly Beach Gold Meat Market 1. Pick n Pay, Kingsburgh, Durban Platinum 2. Food Lovers Market, Westwood Mall, Westville Gold The winners in each category received Platinum Awards and the runners up Gold Awards. First prize winners in each national category received a R 20 000 cash prize and a Platinum Trophy Award. The runners up received a R 10 000 cash prize as well as a Gold Cleaver Award Trophy. All of the provincial winners received either a Platinum or Gold Cleaver Award Trophy in their category. For the first time since the inception of the Awards, there will be six consumer prizes awarded to consumers who each nominated one of the six national winners, with each of these winners receiving a Weber braai.