AUSTRALIA's top butchers have sharpened their skills in Queensland this week ahead of the Tri-Nations International Butchery Competition.
The team of six butchers known as The Australian Steelers converged on Helensvale for their last training session on Tuesday before heading to Auckland next month.
Captain Michael James from Carina North Quality Meats in Brisbane said the competition was set to be fierce, with the Steelers up against teams from Great Britain and New Zealand.
"The Tri-Nations is a three-hour test of skills, innovation and presentation," Mr James said.
"We've all been working on developing our skills individually and as a team to ensure we've got the greatest chance to slice and dice the competition."
For the first time the competition will include pork, through a new sponsorship deal with Australian Pork Limited.
"We all love pork, so this is great for us," Mr James said.
"We are just working together to ensure we're ready to serve up perfect cuts, well presented in the competition.
"We need to be getting it right now, because on the day, we'll be dealing with challenges like sourcing the right ingredients overseas and the time pressure of the competition."
New Zealand's Sharp Blacks are the current title-holders. The Steelers head to Auckland on September 5 and will compete for the Tri-Nations title on September 10.
