Transylvania Butcher Wars: Romania Hosts Its First International Butchery Competition

On September 20–21, 2025, Cluj-Napoca will host, for the first time in Romania, the international competition Transylvania Butcher Wars—a unique event dedicated to the art of butchery and high-quality meat products. The event is part of the global Butcher Wars circuit, which began in 2016 in Australia.

“Transylvania Butcher Wars is not just a competition; it is also an opportunity to show that Romania can host large-scale international events in agribusiness and butchery. It is a platform through which we promote craftsmanship, tradition, and innovation, while showcasing Romanian products alongside the world’s best practices. We want this event to place Cluj and Romania on the global map of professional competitions and to inspire new generations of butchers to carry on this craft,” said Cosmin Moldovan, President of the Ștefan Moldovan Foundation and CEO of Moldovan Carmangerie.

The event will take place on the campus of USAMV Cluj-Napoca, bringing together 16 professional butchers from seven countries across three continents: Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Romania, and Spain. Notably, five of the contestants are women, demonstrating that butchery is a craft of passion and mastery, not stereotypes. Some of the Romanian butchers competing individually are also members of the Elite Butchers Team, which represented Romania for the first time at the World Butcher’s Challenge Paris 2025.

“Transylvania Butcher Wars is about the spectacle of butchery, about creativity, and about passion for meat. In recent years, I have attended several competitions in this category, and I can say that the results of each contestant always exceed expectations of what we usually imagine when we think of meat products. I am glad we are bringing to Cluj competitors from many countries and continents. Each of them will bring a part of their own culture into the competition, so we will get to see traditional products specific to their regions,” said Florin Moroșanu, Executive Director of the Ștefan Moldovan Foundation.

The contestants’ technical cutting skills, speed, and creativity will be judged by an international jury of butchery specialists:

• Shannon Walker (Australia) – Renowned butcher and manager of Australia’s team at the 2025 World Butchers’ Challenge. He has organized over 25 Butcher Wars competitions worldwide. Founder of The Butcher’s Cook Book project and of the Butchers Alliance online lamb competition.
• Gianni Giardina (Italy) – A third-generation butcher, founder and vice president of Italy’s National Butchers Team, and president of the Agrigento Butchers Association. Mentor and respected leader, winner of the “Butcher of the Year” title (2024), and international judge at the World Butcher’s Challenge.
• Panayotis Mariolis (Greece) – With more than 30 years of experience, founder of Mister Meat and former head instructor at Meat Pro private school. Represented Greece at the 2018 WBC in Ireland, where he won the “World’s Best Burger” award.
• Holger Fricke (Germany) – Independent entrepreneur in the meat trade since 2011, from a family of four generations of butchers. Consultant and respected specialist, jury member at the World Butchers’ Challenge, known for professionalism and boldness.
• Gelu Vișan (Romania) – Manager of the Cluj-Napoca City Hall Canteen and Black Angus beef specialist, with a unique PhD on this subject in Transylvania. Advisor and recipe creator for Romania’s Elite Butchers Team, combining science with culinary passion.
• Marius Verdeși (Romania) – Founder of the Zimbria brand, recognized for premium meats and artisanal products. Mentor and culinary designer for the Elite Butchers Team at WBC 2025, he promotes a balance between tradition, innovation, and respect for craftsmanship.

In addition to the main competition, the Transylvania Butcher Wars program includes:

• Conference: “Challenges of Agribusiness in Romania”, organized in partnership with Romanian Business Leaders, USAMV Cluj-Napoca, the National ProAgro Federation, and APAR.
• “Cârnat Wars” contest, where five amateur teams will test their skills in preparing sausages using traditional recipes.
• Public debates on food and gastronomic culture.
• Workshops for children, demonstrations of artisanal knife handling, exhibitions, and showcases of local and international products.

The event will have a festival atmosphere, with relaxation areas, street food stands, as well as beverage and sweets stalls. More information about the event can be found at www.fundatiastefanmoldovan.ro.

Butcher Wars began in 2016 at Meatstock, Australia’s largest barbecue festival, and quickly expanded to other Australian cities and New Zealand. Today, the competition has reached over 30 editions in 10 countries. Its mission is to showcase the mastery of butchery—highlighting both the art of cutting a carcass into prime cuts and the ability to create spectacular displays for the public. The founder of the competition, Shannon Walker, believes that a good butcher combines, in perfect balance, all aspects of the craft: speed and precision with the knife, creativity, customer interaction, and impeccable presentation of both self and meat displays.

Organizers: Ștefan Moldovan Foundation, AgroCluster Transylvania. Main partners: USAMV Cluj-Napoca, Romanian Business Leaders, National ProAgro Federation, APAR. Main sponsors: Auchan, BCR. Sponsors: Moldovan Carmangerie, Zimbria, Ulma, Oncos. CSR Partner: Prison Fellowship Romania. Mobility Partner: RMB Interauto. Media partners: Actual de Cluj, Cluj24, Clujul Cultural, Clujenii, Cluj Today, Făclia, Monitorul de Cluj, Meat.Milk, Media9, Ziua de Cluj.