Team: THE HELLERS SHARP BLACKS
Meet the Hellers Sharp Blacks Team
New zealand’s national butchery team
Riki Kerekere
Hellers - Team Captain and Product Development
Leading the 2025 Hellers Sharp Blacks team is captain Riki Kerekere, a highly respected and well-seasoned master of the butchery trade for 37 years. A natural leader, Riki currently works as a Production Manager at Hellers in Auckland, overseeing the teams producing various meat products for stores throughout the North Island.
Riki has previously represented New Zealand as a judge at the 2018 World Butchers’ Challenge in Belfast, (so knows exactly what the judges will be looking for) and made the decision to apply for the team following his success in the 2018 Alto Butcher of the Year competition, where he took out the title. Riki was named captain of The Hellers Sharp Blacks in 2022 after the long-reigning Corey Winder stepped down at the start of 2022.
Riki led the team that won the bronze medal in Sacramento in 2022. He knows he has a winning team on his hands and is keen to take it to the next level and to bring home the title!
Humble and respectful in his approach to leadership, Riki’s competition game plan is to keep the team focused and inspired while maintaining the high standards set by previous Hellers Sharp Black squads; “We are kaitiaki”.
Reuben Sharples
Aussie Butcher New Lynn - Boning and Trimming
A media darling and no stranger to the limelight (or a Facebook Live), Reuben is the owner of Aussie Butcher New Lynn and a stalwart of the butchery competition scene. Reuben took out the title of Alto Butcher of the Year in 2017 and competed in Butcher Wars at Meatstock. His team at Aussie Butcher New Lynn have won numerous awards for their sausages and hams and Reuben brings with him a wealth of experience in producing small goods to the team, as well as his famous charisma for the cameras.
Luka Young
PAK’nSAVE Kaitaia - Product Developer
Luka has managed to pack an incredible amount of experience into his nine years of butchery with numerous awards under his belt, most recently the title of 2023 Pact Packaging Young Butcher of the Year. He’s also no stranger to competing on the world stage, placing third in the World Champion Young Butcher Competition at the 2018 World Butchers’ Challenge in Belfast. Hailing from the PAK’nSAVE, Kaitaia, Luka’s flourish and style will be integral in developing impressive products for the Hellers Sharp Blacks display.
Dan Klink
Mangawhai Butcher Shop - Boning and Trimming
With 20 years of butchery experience and a plethora of national achievements including Auckland Regional Young Butcher of the Year and winner of the Supreme Sausage Award at the 2016 Great New Zealand Sausage Competition, Dan Klink is a true asset for the Hellers Sharp Blacks, making the team for the second time around. While his official role entails breaking down the carcass, his flair for unique flavour combinations (See: aforementioned award-winning Chicken, Lime & Lemongrass sausage) will have the team leaning on him for creative input too.
Cherise Redden
PAK’nSAVE Glenn Innes - Garnish and Display
A star on the butchery scene since winning Butcher Apprentice of the Year in 2019, Cherise went on to be crowned Pact Packaging Young Butcher of the Year in 2021 and was selected as a Hellers Sharp Black just two years after qualifying as a butcher. Her penchant for aesthetics and detail makes her the ideal Garnish and Display expert to give the Hellers Sharp Blacks display the X-Factor that will win points with the judges.
Corey White
Skill4Work - Product Developer
Having worked in all aspects of the industry, Corey made his mark winning the 2018 Butcher Apprentice of the Year and finalist in the 2021 Pact Packaging Young Butcher of the Year competition. He also featured as the youngest member of the Hellers Sharp Blacks team who placed third at the World Butcher’s Challenge competition in Sacramento in 2022.
Since then, Corey has embarked on a career as a Butchery Training Advisor working with apprentices and mentoring young up and coming butchers. He's on a mission to share his passion for meat, nurture his craft and help shape the next generation of butchers. Corey has certainly made a mark in his short five years of butchery and his fresh perspective will be invaluable as the team compete in France.
Samantha Weller
New World Ravenswood - Reserve
Samantha started competing in the first year of her apprenticeship and went on to win the 2018 World Champion Butcher Apprentice competition (in Belfast) during her second year of apprenticeship and has since continued to compete in the young butcher category, consistently delivering outstanding displays.
Samantha's positive attitude, ability to thrive under pressure, extensive knowledge of value-added products, and her creative flare will make her a valuable addition to the team.
Samantha is thrilled and honored to join the team, it’s a goal she's pursued for seven years, making it the highlight of her year.
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Official Knife Sponsor
Principal Protein Sponsors
