Meet our Friend, John the Butcher

Meet friend of Woolerina and local Forbes legend “John the Butcher”! John has been our family butcher for many years. He is a bit of larrikin, with a very kind and generous nature – he always greets you with a smile and wishes you a great day as you leave.

John is the kind of guy that you could call upon for anything – during the 2022 floods some of the everyday things like milk and bread became a little hard to get, Mum and Dad had run out of milk for their daily coffee (and were cut off from town by the floodwater) and John had managed to track some down – he saved them a bottle which I was then able to send out to them. This little act was something that I will never forget, it was just so kind in a time when spirits were low.

John has been a butcher for nearly 40 years. It was not a long-held dream but after he finished year 10 he was keen to leave school, his Mum said “If you can get a job, you can leave school”. After those words were spoken, John was determined to find a job, and walked around town asking different businesses if they’d take him on. Gordon Tildsley Butchery accepted John as an apprentice and after four years he became a fully qualified butcher. John continued to work with Gordon Tildsley for 14 years, he says “I must say these years were an absolute privilege as I was taught the right “ins and outs” of being a skilled retail butcher, along with learning the talent of curing and smoking meat which has been such an asset to my career”.

Our very popular neckwarmer with side split came about as a result of some feedback John provided us with. As a motorbike rider he found that our regular neckwarmer didn’t come low enough on his neck & chest to keep out the wind and cold air. He’s a big fan of the neckwarmer with side split as it tucks into his jacket, keeping him toasty warm! John’s other favourite Woolerina piece is our mens long sleeve crew, “Being a butcher I prefer Woolerina garments as they keep me warm when in a cool environment (cool rooms!). They are also my preference as I have psoriasis and they do not aggravate this condition.” And of course, they are perfect when on his motorbike!

We asked John a few questions so you can get to know him a bit better – and, even though most of us see him multiple times a week, we loved getting to know him a bit better too!

1. What is your Favourite cut of meat?
T-Bone, cooked on my BBQ with my favourite spices with mashed potato and Diane sauce.

2. When you are not working what would we find you doing?
Enjoying time with my wife Sharmane, daughters Sarah and Emily and their husbands Josh and Nic, along with my adored four beautiful grandchildren Amahli, Brooklyn, Pippa and Daisy who give me the inspiration to be a great mentor and a great Pop (they are all my life). I also love fishing, camping, gardening, being outdoors and riding my Harley.

3. Tell us about you and your Harley – was it always a dream to own a Harley, how many years have been riding your Harley for?
I always rode motorbikes as a kid. A Harley had been in my dreams since my early 20’s and in 2013 I was given the option to upgrade the fishing boat or to get a Harley…so of course it was a no-brainer! I took ownership of a brand new Harley Davidson Street Bob – my (then) dream bike.

4. What do you love most about Winter?
I love having my grandchildren and family home around a fire pit, toasting marshmallows and star gazing! I also love a good camp oven feast.

5. What is one thing you do daily that is a non-negotiable?
Tell my wife, kids & grandchildren that I love them everyday!

6. What do you think is the best thing about Woolerina?
Well, where do I start… firstly I am a great believer in local. A family owned and run business is an asset to Forbes. Woolerina has great quality garments, which don’t aggravate my psoriasis skin condition. I love the comfort and the warmth they provide.

7. Your favourite quote?
“Life is what you make it so, enjoy it, live, love and laugh!!”

8. Your hot tips for cooking the perfect steak:

1. Bring it to room temperature – this avoids the meat transitioning from cold to hot too quickly which causes the muscles in the meat to tighten, making your steak tough!
2. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper;
3. Pre-heat your grill plate/pan;
4. Put your steak onto the hot plate/pan and cook to how you like it on the first side (time this), then flip it just once and cook for half the time you cooked the first side for;
5. Take the steak off the heat and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

We hope that in meeting our local butcher you feel inspired to head on down to yours and to get to know them a bit better too...and if you're in Forbes or happen to be passing through, stop in and say g'day to John at Flint St!

Pippa. xx