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//ABOUT
About Master Butchers Choice
This website began as an attempt to
provide unbiased professional consumer information about meat and meat
products. Over the years Master
Butchers Choice has grown
into a
major meat
information resource. Today Master
Butchers Choice is the only
website
providing detailed information to meat consumers, the meat trade and
the
growing
community of home sausage makers and meat processors. In this 3rd.
edition
of Master
Butchers Choice we
have added many new pages with information,
including a
new virtual meat counter, a meat-cooking guide and more recipes. With
over 1000
(per day) unique visitors from around the world Master Butchers Choice
has become
the number
one meat
information resource and continues to grow.
About the the man
behind Master
Butchers Choice.
Master Butcher
Othmar Vohringer
 The
funny thing is that I actually never wanted to become a butcher. I
had my eyes set on a profession with living animals. Becoming an animal
trainer
and animal behaviourist that was my dream job.
During
my time in school on off days and school vacations my twin brother and
I helped
in my fathers slaughterhouse and meat processing plant. At the age of
14 my
brother and I could slaughter and process meat with the best of them.
So it was
not that I had an aversion against becoming a butcher. It was just that
I loved
to be involved with live animals. Indeed my greatest joy as a boy was
to
accompany my father on his trips to the farmers where he would buy
cattle and
pigs. I have fond memories of how my father and the farmers would stand
in the
stable and haggle over the price of a cow or a pig. Not that my father
was
greedy and didn't want to pay money - haggling in those days was
expected. A
farmer could get quite upset if you didn't haggle with him. So from
that point
of view live animals attracted me and I wanted to study them and their
behaviour.
My
parents
believed very firmly that their children should have a profession that
makes
them happy - not a profession to please the parents. "After all",
they said, "it is your life and you have to be happy with it."
However, my father did feel that it would be wise to learn a profession
first
that is a "proper" trade. Just in case the other doesn't work out
then one has something to fall back on. That was pure common sense to
me and so I chose, what else? To learn the butcher trade!
Together with my
twin brother, that is exactly what I did.
After
my
initial training I worked for one year in my fathers slaughter house, a
mandatory term to become eligible for Master Butcher training. As soon
as I had
my Master Butcher certificate I became free to pursue my first and
foremost
interest - animal training. I have worked in this profession for thirty
years
until the year 2001. Even if I say so myself, as an animal trainer I
became
world famous and have traveled all over the world. My specialty became
white
tigers. In 1998 I made circus history by being the first western animal
trainer
ever to be invited to go to the Peoples Republic of China. After three
yeas in
China I decided that I had reached the highest point in my
career and
perhaps now is the right time to retire. What helped me in my decision
was also
that after thirty years of non-stop traveling and living out of
suitcases and
in hotel rooms, I longed to stay in one place for longer then just a
few days.
I wanted a home and so my beautiful Canadian wife Heidi and I decided
that we
would make our home in British Columbia, where she was born and grew up.
Throughout
the years I remained close to the butcher profession. On my travels
throughout
the world I have visited many slaughterhouses and meat processing
plants and
have spoken with many people in the meat industry. This has given me a
good
understanding of the different aspects and traditions in different
countries. I
remained the Vice President of my father’s slaughterhouse
until it was sold
after his death. This meant that I had to go every year home for a few
days to
take part in meetings and consultations. On these visits I would inform
my
father of the things I had seen in foreign countries and what might be
good for
us too. In this way I helped to improve our company in many aspects. My
knowledge about animal behaviour made it possible for me to design a
new animal
holding and chasing area with runways that facilitate better movement
of
animals in a natural way. This meant the animals didn't suffer the
stress that
was common at many other slaughterhouses. While I was at it I also
designed a
new animal stunning bay, incorporating my knowledge about animal
behaviour. It
my sound somewhat cynical to the layman, but what I strived for and
accomplished was a more relaxed death for the animals, where death came
suddenly and unexpectedly. This is not a contradiction in terms: a
swift death
resulted in a relaxed animal and a relaxed animal meant a better
quality of
meat - the ethical questions were neatly answered by the practical
considerations.
Later,
after the family business had been sold, I helped my twin
brother who had
moved to Brazil with his wife. Together we set up "Irmaos Vohringer
Salsicheria e Carne" a sausage and meat production company in the heart
of
Brazil's cattle and meat production area. Eventually
this company was
incorporated into a larger one and transformed into a slaughterhouse
where my
brother now has the position of general manager. When I look back I
have to say
that my professional life has come to a full circle. I started out as a
butcher
and although I am still an adviser and consultant for animal behaviour
and
training, I am also back in my profession as a butcher. Looking at it I
have to
say I got the best of both worlds. There are surely not that many
people who
can say that they were able to learn two professions that they liked
equally
well and then also work both these professions simultaneously. The end
result
is that I was able to gather an immense wealth of expertise and
experience.
My
forte
had always been the dealing with livestock acquisition and
the improvement
of humane slaughtering and quality meat processing. My twin brother on
the other
had has become one of the best sausage makers far and wide. Mind you,
there are
many people around that will attest to you that I make a very good
sausage too!
I think that simply has to do with how we have grown up and what
direction we
have taken in specializing within our trade. All we have learned
originated
from our father for whom the word "quality"
was not
simply lip
service. We learned that quality is the beginning and end-all of every
production or as my father used to say, "Quality
is if I can
sit down
and eat what I produce without hesitation."
Another favourite
saying
of his was, "If it doesn't
taste good to me it isn't good
enough for my
customers." Today I
fully adopt these same
simple principles of work. My personal and professional behavior and
conduct is
governed by four basic principles.
1.
Do
what is right.
2.
Do
the best job you can.
3.
Treat
others like you would want to be treated.
4.
Always
use commonsense and logic.
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Othmar at a Glance:
After high school Othmar stepped into the family tradition and enrolled
in a 3 year butcher apprenticeship in his native Switzerland.
After completing the exams he went back to the family
slaughterhouse for one year as journeyman to become eligible to enroll
in the Swiss Master Butcher School.
After the Master Butcher exams Othmar traveld to Germany to follow his
dream profession of becoming an animal trainer and behaviorist. He
studied animal behavior and training in Germany.
It is as animal trainer and animal behaviorist that he was able to
built a 30 year
career in which he became a worldwide respected authority.
Othmar is also an avid whitetail deer and wild turkey hunter, an
accomplished outdoor writer, hunting seminar speaker and hunting
education instructor.
To learn more about Othmars hunting activities, visit.
Othmar
Vohringer
Outdoors
Othmar and his Canadian wife Heidi, a professional photographer
and
graphic designer, live in beautiful Merritt, British Columbia,
Canada
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