The first edition of the international competition Transylvania Butcher Wars, held this weekend at the USAMV Campus in Cluj-Napoca, marked a historic moment, confirming a generational and cultural shift in the world of butchery.

After two days as intense as they were spectacular, the podium was dominated by women, in a sector long considered exclusively male. Thus, the top step of the podium was claimed by Italian butcher Anna Moretti, who impressed the jury with her speed, technique, and passion. The second place went to Lina Wachter from Germany, who won through precision and determination, while third place was awarded to Adrian Petre, a member of the Elite Butchers team, completing a podium that reflected both diversity and excellence.

“I am very emotional and very happy, I still can’t believe that I won, especially since I competed against so many top butchers. The biggest challenge during the competition was fitting within the 30 minutes allotted for the round. The quality that secured my victory was the passion I have for this craft. I have been working as a butcher for 10 years; it’s a family tradition where we all put in a lot of passion,” said Anna Moretti.

The Top 10 was evenly split between men and women, each bringing into the ring something from the culinary style and culture of their home country: Alana Empson (New Zealand) – 4th place, Daniel Herrero (Spain) – 5th place, Paul Cordea (Romania, Elite Butchers team) – 6th place, Bruno Casal Diaz (Spain) – 7th place, Gabriel Arghir (Romania, Elite Butchers team) – 8th place, Florin Stângă (Romania, Elite Butchers team) – 9th place, Lisa Lend (Australia) – 10th place. The result sends a strong and positive message: in this profession, what truly matters are talent, skill, and dedication – not gender.

The audience also applauded the “Cârnat Wars” contest, where Gurmeticus (USAMV Cluj-Napoca) won the grand prize, followed by Jandarmeria (2nd place) and Verus Nostras (3rd place). Special awards went to Ararat (Creativity), Sky Drill (Team Spirit), and Gospodarii (Spiciness).

The competitions were complemented by a series of conferences and debates, each one interesting and much enjoyed by the public. The conference “The Challenges of Agribusiness in Romania”, organized by the Ștefan Moldovan Foundation in partnership with Romanian Business Leader (RBL), AgroTransilvania Cluster, USAMV Cluj-Napoca, the National Federation ProAgro, and APAR, brought together entrepreneurs, association representatives, authorities, and experts to discuss how Romanian products can be supported to reach not only the national market and EU countries but also extra-EU markets. They concluded that Romania has quality products, but it needs to educate its own consumers, develop smart promotion strategies, and build on the existing foundation a new generation of agribusiness workers who can innovate and create added value in rural communities.

At the same conference, Marius Verdeși, founder of Zimbria, announced the filing of documents for the establishment of the National Butchers’ Association of Romania. The initiators of this initiative are Moldovan Carmangerie, Verdeși & Co, and Angus House. The association aims to defend the economic, professional, legal, and social interests of all its members, as well as to ensure social dialogue with the relevant national bodies. The first activities will focus on international collaborations to promote the butcher’s craft in Europe and on educating the young generation of butchers.

The debate “Beyond Taste. An Exploration into the Myths of Food from Communism to the Present”, featuring Dan Vodnar (USAMV Cluj-Napoca) and Virgiliu Țârău (Faculty of History and Philosophy, UBB Cluj), was lively, animated, and colorful. Two areas of great public interest met: nutrition and the history of communism, drawing a large evening audience. Discussions touched on food shortages, meat and its quality, recipe books, toxic food during communism, hunger maps (better and worse-supplied areas), the fact that agriculture mainly paid off foreign debt, the evolution of food regulations during communism, and much more. The audience was highly engaged, asking many questions, making comments and additions, in a pleasant, conversational atmosphere led by two serious yet cheerful academics ready for discussion.

At the international debate “The Butcher’s Identity”, which highlighted the current role of butchers in the community, some of the judges and competitors spoke about the transformations the craft is undergoing: from the traditional image, sometimes associated only with slaughterhouses, to the butcher’s new status as artisan and consumer advisor (sometimes even marital counselor). “We started organizing these types of events in Romania so that butchery would be seen differently, to prove that it can be elevated to an art form,” admitted Cosmin Moldovan, CEO of Moldovan Carmangerie and president of the Ștefan Moldovan Foundation.

During the discussion, German butchers emphasized that today, in butcher shops, it’s not only about meat, but also about understanding what the customer wants, telling the product’s story, and keeping traditions alive. Competitors from Australia and New Zealand showed that, although in other parts of the world butchery resurfaced in public attention after a period of “underground,” family butcher shops there demonstrated continuity for three or four generations and have always been a source of local pride. Italian butchers pointed out that young people no longer cook as much as before, preferring quick meals, which has even changed the appearance of butcher shop displays and product offerings. “It’s a problem that young people today no longer know how to cook, and that butchers have to be chefs as well,” confirmed Shannon Walker, founder of Butcher Wars. Beyond cultural differences, participants agreed that the role of the butcher is to bring people together around food, to communicate directly with customers, and to offer not just products, but also authentic stories.

This inaugural edition of Transylvania Butcher Wars demonstrated not only the high level of competition but also the strength of an international community united by the same passion. The global butcher community sent out a common message from Cluj: butchery is art, it is craft, it is story.

Butcher Wars began in 2016 at Australia’s largest barbecue festival, Meatstock, and quickly expanded to other Australian cities and to New Zealand. Today, the competition has reached over 30 editions organized in 10 countries. The aim of Butcher Wars is to showcase the mastery of the butcher’s craft, highlighting both the art of cutting a carcass into meat cuts and the talent of creating spectacular displays in front of a large audience. The competition’s founder, Shannon Walker, believes that a good butcher perfectly balances all aspects of the trade: speed and precision in handling the knife, creativity, the ability to interact with customers, and the impeccable presentation of both themselves and the display case in which the products are showcased.

Organizers: Ștefan Moldovan Foundation, AgroCluster Transylvania.

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.