By Warwick Taylor
How did it start? I suppose it started by being a farmer’s son! I grew up on a farm in the Underberg area where my parents, Rob and Lynn Taylor, were cattle farmers. As a teenager I was often on the hills or in the lands amongst the cows, counting the calves, checking their health, or adding feed to the feed troughs. But…how did I become a butcher? By mistake actually!
When I was twelve, I was involved in a shooting accident with my older brother, Grant, during which I lost my left eye. What this meant was that when I started my military training in 1988, I would not be allowed to shoot, even though I could probably shoot way better than 99% of my fellow soldiers.
For the remainder of my army days, I would be based at The Drill Hall in Pietermaritzburg. Apart from organising the odd soccer or boxing match with the locals in a township, we did not do very much – in fact, we did very little. Having nothing to do and, well, all day to do it, I soon realised that my army service was going to be a very long two years. I decided to take action – I needed a job!
That’s when I landed myself a job in a butchery and as they say – the rest is history. After finishing my time in the army, I qualified as a meat technician (block-man). After a couple of years of hard work and a variety of jobs, I gained the experience and hands-on skills I needed for the next leap in my journey. I was offered my own butchery in a retail outlet. I was not convinced, but after a little persuasion and encouragement from my wife, Amanda (commonly known as “Lovey”) the decision was made – I would own my own butchery.
17 years later, I was given the opportunity to dabble in the corporate space and I accepted the position with the same vigour I had poured into my own butchery. It was during this time that I was reminded that my real passion was being a hands-on Butcher. I realised that my real enjoyment lay in the satisfaction and fun of serving my customers. I loved getting to know them, building relationships and listening to what their meat requirements were.
It was out of this realisation that Wozza Meat Co. was born – a butchery that I am proud to put my name behind. Wozza Meat Co. is the culmination of years of hard work, much farming and meat experience and, at the heart of it, the desire to bring only the best to my customers. My team is an integral part of my business success. Constantly developing their skills and improving their lives adds to the rich flavour and family environment of our business.
At Wozza’s, our customer’s get the best meat, poultry and so much more combined with best service. Here’s to the next chapter!
Wozza
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