This weekend, the USAMV Cluj-Napoca Campus will turn into a true arena of butchery mastery, full of energy and adrenaline, hosting the first edition of the international competition Transylvania Butcher Wars, a unique event in Romania that brings to Cluj 16 contestants from seven countries and three continents.

“What a joy and honor to host for the first time in Romania butchers coming from three continents! Among them are five brave women who bring emotion and beauty to this craft. We have an impressive jury, made up of some of the world’s most renowned artistic butchers, the guarantee of a world-class show. Transylvania Butcher Wars shows that this passion unites people, nations, and traditions into one single family. Meat Unites People,” said Marius Verdeși, founder of the Zimbria brand and member of the competition’s jury.

The event kicks off on Saturday, September 20, at 9:30 AM with the conference “Challenges of Agribusiness in Romania”, which will take place in the Biodiversity Research Center of USAMV Cluj-Napoca. Organized by the “Ștefan Moldovan” Foundation in partnership with Romanian Business Leader (RBL), AgroTransilvania Cluster, USAMV Cluj-Napoca, the National Federation ProAgro, and APAR, the conference will be structured into three panels and will bring together specialists from academia and representatives of professional organizations. The opening speeches will be delivered by Florin Moroșanu (“Ștefan Moldovan” Foundation), Dan Pitic (Scala Development), Ionel Arion (ProAgro), Ștefan Pădure (APAR), Felix Arion (AgroTransilvania Cluster) and Cornel Cătoi (USAMV Cluj-Napoca).

The first panel, “Of Romanian Origin (DOR)”, moderated by Iulia Manole (RBL), will feature as guests Alina Donici (Artesana), Marius Verdeși (Zimbria), Emil Florian Dumitru (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), Ionel Arion (ProAgro), and MEP Daniel Buda. They will address topics such as promoting Romanian agri-food products on domestic and international markets, the transformation from net importer to agri-food exporter, the role of research and innovation in agribusiness development, as well as success stories and best practices in the agri-food industry. Also in this panel, Daniel Donici (Artesana) will discuss the Japanese lesson for Romanian agri-food products.

The second panel, “The Labor Market in Agribusiness”, will feature Claudia Indreica (Psihoselect), Marius Ogrezeanu (Agribusinessjob), Marius Bîcu (Ferma cu Omenie), and Cosmin Moldovan (Moldovan Carmangerie), who will debate the need for legislation adapted to the specificities of the agri-food sector, workforce training, collaboration between academia and companies, as well as current issues and proposed solutions for the sector’s competitiveness.

The final panel of the conference, “Premium Beef Production and Processing in Romania: Challenges and Perspectives of the Sector”, will have as speakers Bogdan Vereș (Angus House Farm), Bogdan Negrescu (Turma), and Dragoș Florin Manea (Aberdeen Angus Romania Association), who will discuss strategies to increase added value through local beef processing. More information on the agenda and speakers can be found here: https://shorturl.at/nqvn6.

At 1:00 PM, on the USAMV Cluj-Napoca Campus square, the public will be able to attend the “Cârnat Wars” competition, where five teams of butchers will test their creativity and team spirit in a flavorful contest. The dishes, promising to surprise with taste and originality, will be judged by a jury consisting of Cosmin Moldovan (“Ștefan Moldovan” Foundation), Alexandru Pădurean (Papa la Soni), Laura Stan (USAMV Cluj-Napoca), Doru Vremeș (Ria Do Trading) and Călin Gădălean (Moldovan Carmangerie).

At 3:00 PM, the first three rounds of the Transylvania Butcher Wars competition will begin. In the ring, nine of the 16 registered contestants will compete: Glen Murphy (Australia), Lisa Land (Australia), Guilherme Lopez (Brazil), Lina Watcher (Germany), Anna Moretti (Italy), Fabiana Cironi (Italy), Alana Empson (New Zealand), Cătălin Șerban (Romania/Italy), Ciprian Irimia (Romania), Florin Stîngă (Romania), Gabriel Arghir (Romania/Italy), Paul Cordea (Romania), Adrian Petre (Romania), Bruno Casa Diaz (Spain), and Daniel Herreeo (Spain). The nine will be chosen by a draw held the day before.

The contestants’ technical cutting skills, speed, and creativity will be evaluated by an international jury of butchery experts: Shannon Walker (Australia), Gianni Giardina (Italy), Panayotis Mariolis (Greece), Holger Fricke (Germany), Gelu Vișan (Romania), and Marius Verdeși (Romania). More information about contestants and jury can be found at www.fundatiastefanmoldovan.ro.

In the evening, starting at 6:00 PM, the public can enjoy the debate “Beyond Tastes. An Incursion into the Myths of Nutrition from Communism to the Present”, featuring Dan Vodnar (USAMV Cluj-Napoca) and Virgiliu Țârău (Faculty of History and Philosophy, UBB Cluj), moderated by Florin Moroșanu.

Sunday, September 21, brings the second round of the Transylvania Butcher Wars, starting at 11:00 AM, when the audience will admire the skills of the remaining six butchers in the competition.

On the same day, children can enjoy a burger-making lesson by joining the workshop “How to Make the Tastiest Burgers and Mititei”, which begins at 1:00 PM. Registrations will be made on-site, with a maximum of eight children per session. At 2:00 PM, the butchers present at the competition will participate in an English-language discussion titled “The Butcher’s Identity”, moderated by Andi Daiszler (Daisler Association), exploring the butcher’s role in the community and how this profession is perceived in different countries.

After this debate, the atmosphere will culminate at 3:00 PM with the award ceremony, when the winners of the first edition of the Transylvania Butcher Wars and of the “Cârnat Wars” competition will be announced. This will mark the conclusion of two days of intense competition, with the stage hosting both the best butchers of this edition and the teams that impressed through creativity, teamwork, and the courage to present daring sausage recipes to the jury. The ceremony promises not only the excitement of the podium but also the celebration of an absolute premiere for Romania: the first major “Butcher War” organized in Cluj-Napoca.

Throughout the two-day event, running daily from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM, visitors will enjoy not only spectacular competitions but also relaxation and street food areas, where they will discover diverse dishes and a true festival atmosphere. A central attraction will be the Knifehub area, hosting demonstrations of artisan knife handling, an exhibition of handcrafted knives, as well as the presentation of the professional knife collection offered by Ria Do Trading.

Entry to the event is free, but organizers warn that no parking spaces are available inside the campus.

Butcher Wars started in 2016 at Australia’s largest barbecue festival, Meatstock, and quickly expanded to other Australian cities and New Zealand. Today, the competition has reached more than 30 editions held in 10 countries. The goal of Butcher Wars is to showcase the mastery of the butcher’s craft, highlighting both the art of cutting a carcass into prime cuts and the talent of creating spectacular displays in front of a large audience. The competition’s initiator, Shannon Walker, believes that a good butcher combines, in perfect balance, all aspects of the trade: speed and precision in knife handling, creativity, the ability to interact with clients, and impeccable presentation – both personally and in the display counter.

Organizers: “Ștefan Moldovan” Foundation, AgroCluster Transilvania.

Main partners: USAMV Cluj-Napoca, Romanian Business Leader, National Federation ProAgro, APAR.

Main sponsors: Auchan, BCR.

Sponsors: Moldovan Carmangerie, Zimbria, Ulma, Oncos, Blashine, PMA Invest, Papyrus, Rottaprint, Solina.

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.