Master butcher and meat sommelier Dirk Freyberger is named Germany's best team captain and is thus inducted into the Hall of Fame of the World Butchers' Challenge (WBC) , the world championship for butchers.
The World Butchers' Challenge 2025
The WBC is an international competition among butchers. Butchers from all over the world compete against each other. A distinction is made between team competitions and solo competitions . The individual competition categories are for apprentices and young butchers. These also have different requirements for the competitors.
In contrast to the team competition, the youngsters have to process two chickens , half a lamb , a rump of beef and a side of pork into products in two and a half hours and then present these on a themed display.
The task of the team competition is: In three and a half hours, process half a cow , half a pig , a whole lamb and five chickens into counter-ready products and also present these on a themed display.
The WBC will take place in Paris at the end of March 2025. The event is hosted by France, which is also participating in the World Championship. In addition to a live broadcast, there is also the opportunity to watch the spectacle in person.
The event reaches over 10,000 people. All the meat the butchers use is donated. Sixteen nations are competing, vying for the title of World Champion. Germany is among them. Dirk Freyberger isn't going to miss this competition.
Who is Dirk Freyberger?
Dirk Freyberger is a master butcher and meat sommelier. Together with his brother Sven, he runs the Freyberger butcher shop in Nuremberg, a third-generation family business. He not only runs the day-to-day business, but also organizes butcher competitions, is a book author , and participates in other competitions to promote the butcher trade.
These include the Franconian Bratwurst Summit , BBQ Championships , and, of course, the World Butcher Championship . He competes in these with the Butcher Wolfpack, which Dirk also founded. "It's simply important to me to promote our craft. This not only promotes young talent but also increases consumer understanding," explains Dirk.
The Butcher Wolfpack
The Butcher Wolfpack is a team of butchers who represent Germany at international competitions. Together they won the 2022 World Championship title .
It was founded by Dirk as part of the German Meat Sommelier Association. Freyberger serves as its first chairman. "I am proud of our craftsmanship and believe the world should share in it," says the Nuremberg native.
The current team line-up for participation in competitions is: Dirk Freyberger, Matthias Endrass, Jürgen Reck, Katharina Bertl, Katharina Endrass-Lacher and Sabrina Minkenberg.
But there are other people behind the scenes. You can find out more about them here . "I'm incredibly happy that my team is joining me on this journey," reveals the master butcher.
The butchers carry out this work on a voluntary basis, alongside their regular jobs, and prepare for the World Championship for years.
The results of the WBC
The Butcher Wolfpack finished runner-up in the World Championships in Paris. The team also received the award for the best pork sausage . In addition, Katharina Bertl, as best finisher, and Dirk Freyberger, as best team captain, were inducted into the WBC All-Star Team (Hall of Fame). "The wins aren't that important to me – what's important to me is that my team supports me," the All-Star captain reveals.
France becomes world champion, overtaking Germany. However, shortly after the competition, it emerges that the results may have been falsified. France faces allegations of fraud.
The main point of criticism: The French national team allegedly concealed meat for judging in their display. Evidence has been submitted to the WBC committee. We have also incorporated the exclusive video footage into our report on our YouTube channel .