Fleish & Co. 15 years of Meat Sommelier

"Lean Gentini today represents what this profession can be at its best: lived passion, professional depth and the ability to connect cultures. Meat sommeliers like him – and those who teach, research and share knowledge internationally – no longer sell meat behind a counter. They communicate it in a broader context: in lectures, on stages, in courses, excursions and publications."

Proud to be featured in the latest edition of the prestigious Fleisch & Co, recognized among the pioneers of the first Argentine meat sommelier class and described as an international professional connecting cultures across continents. I’m sincerely grateful to the editor for the mention and for highlighting a journey that has taken me from South America to Japan, Ireland, and the United States—always guided by the purpose of elevating knowledge, respecting craftsmanship, and building bridges within the global meat ecosystem.

A special note of appreciation to Ronny Paulusch, Diploma Meat Sommelier and founder of MEAT GmbH, whose leadership, vision, and ongoing work have helped shape and elevate the meat sommelier profession. His commitment to education, communication, and professional standards continues to inspire a new generation to live this craft with depth and responsibility.

Ronny Paulusch, Diploma Meat Sommelier and founder of MEAT GmbH

The article itself reflects on the 15-year evolution of the meat sommelier movement, a profession created to preserve expertise, culture, and passion for meat while ensuring these are passed on to future generations. What began in Austria as a response to the decline of traditional butcher shops quickly developed into a structured educational model that blends craftsmanship with academic rigor.

As the movement expanded into Germany and Switzerland, it gained professionalism and stronger teaching frameworks, yet also encountered challenges such as inconsistent training standards and limited public visibility. The piece emphasizes that a meat sommelier is far more than a technical title—it represents knowledge, ethics, sensory expertise, communication, and education.

Argentina marked an important international milestone with the launch of the world’s first university specialization in meat sommelier studies, helping anchor the profession in science, research, and institutional learning. Today, meat sommeliers are increasingly seen as educators and cultural ambassadors who connect producers, gastronomy, and consumers.

After fifteen years, the movement stands at a turning point. Greater structure, modern didactics, and stronger public presence will be essential to ensure the profession continues to grow with credibility and purpose. More than a title, being a meat sommelier is about living the craft with responsibility—carrying forward a symbol of excellence, cultural understanding, and global collaboration.

Below is the English translation of the article.

Article credits and copyright belong to Fleisch & Co. https://fleischundco.at/

15 Years of Meat Sommeliers – A Success Story with a Mission

2026 will be a special year for the meat sommelier movement.We celebrate 15 years of Meat Sommelier Austria, 10 years of Meat Sommelier Germany and 5 years of Meat Sommelier Switzerland – complemented by a strong network in Argentina (since 2019).Four countries, one idea: not only to preserve knowledge, culture and enthusiasm around meat, but to pass them on.

Hardly any professional role combines craftsmanship, enjoyment and education as strongly as the meat sommelier. And yet this is also its greatest challenge: balancing tradition and modernity, expertise and public perception, craftsmanship and staging.

The beginnings – Austria as the birthplace of an idea

The idea emerged in Austria at a time when the craft was increasingly under pressure.More and more traditional butcher shops were closing, and with them the risk of losing knowledge passed down over generations.

Rudolf Stückler from Agrarmarkt Austria (AMA) responded by developing an educational format designed to counter this loss: the meat sommelier.

From the outset, the course was exceptional. Instead of short seminars, it relied on a modular structure over several months with in-person phases, professional excursions and practice-oriented assignments. Participants had to write a diploma thesis – a deep dive into topics such as aging, sensory analysis or marketing.Austria thus became not only a pioneer but a trailblazer for an education that combined craftsmanship with didactic thinking – long before “blended learning” became a common term in the industry.

Germany – professionalisation and popularisation

Five years later, the movement gained momentum in Germany.Under the leadership of Stefan Ulbricht, the first German meat sommelier program started at the Augsburg Butchers’ School – a compact two-week course that still sets standards today and attracts participants from across the German-speaking world.

Due to legal frameworks, the diploma title was omitted. Nevertheless, enthusiasm was enormous. The success attracted competitors – soon other schools in Frankfurt and Landshut offered their own programs.

With growing numbers came the risk of dilution. Different curricula, diverging examination formats and economic pressure gradually reduced the depth of the original concept.

Some providers opened the program to career changers, bloggers and influencers – a development that generated attention but also distorted the understanding of the title.Today, many certificates hang on walls, but only a portion of graduates truly live the profession of meat sommelier in the sense of education, advisory work and professional excellence.

A key milestone in Germany was the founding of Fleischsommelier Deutschland e.V., from which the Butcher Wolfpack later emerged.This initiative created, for the first time, a genuine network of committed graduates and professionals whose impact extended far beyond the course itself. With passion, creativity and team spirit, the Wolfpack won the world championship at the World Butchers’ Challenge in 2022 – and the vice world championship in 2025.

Yet even these achievements barely reached the broader public. Ask people today who the current world champion butcher is, and you will often get a shrug. Many do not even know such a championship exists. This is not a failure of individuals, but a structural issue: a lack of overarching communication, pride and public visibility.

Switzerland – didactics as the key

Switzerland provides a particularly positive example.At the SFF Education Center in Spiez, the program has been further developed didactically. From slaughter to refinement to presentation, the course follows a clear thread – practice-oriented, competence-based and with a modern understanding of teachers as learning facilitators rather than lecturers.

The concept demonstrates what craft education can look like today: structured, methodically reflected and consistently focused on sustainable learning.

Argentina – passion as curriculum and bridge to the world

Internationally, the idea has long taken root.In Argentina, a country whose national identity is inseparably linked to meat culture, this passion has been elevated to an academic level.

In 2019, the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) launched the world’s first university specialization program for Sommelier de Carnes. Initiated by veterinarian Luis Barcos and now led by the Instituto Argentino de la Carne (ICOCA), this program marked the professional establishment of the field.

Among the pioneers of the first cohort were figures such as Leandro Gentini and Natalia Barrionuevo, who helped establish ICOCA as a central institution for training, certification and research.

Gentini today represents what this profession can be at its best: lived passion, professional depth and the ability to connect cultures. His work spans continents – from South America to Japan, Ireland and the USA.

Meat sommeliers like him – and those who teach, research and share knowledge internationally – no longer sell meat behind a counter. They communicate it in a broader context: in lectures, on stages, in courses, excursions and publications.

I myself have experienced this dimension in recent years through work in Japan, Finland and Spain, as a lecturer at butchers’ schools throughout the German-speaking world and through international study tours.These encounters show how powerful cultural exchange becomes when it moves beyond the product – toward knowledge, responsibility and understanding.

We need more active meat sommeliers in this sense. Not certificate holders, but people who live the profession and carry it into the future.

Interim conclusion – success with challenges

The meat sommelier movement is a success story.But it is also a mirror of our industry – with all its strengths and its challenges.

On the one hand, the title has become a brand. Meat sommeliers operate internationally, organise excursions, workshops and tastings and contribute to more differentiated conversations about meat.

On the other hand, structure, consistency and public perception are often lacking. Training is inconsistent, quality varies, and the role is too often reduced to grilling – a misunderstanding that does not reflect the depth of the profession.

Associations and industry – a missed opportunity

Associations and industry must also accept criticism.Although organisations support the qualification as further training, there is still no broad consumer-focused campaign that communicates the value of meat sommeliers beyond the trade press.

Industry partnerships often focus on quick reach through social media profiles that generate attention but rarely convey depth. Short-lived online clips cannot replace expertise and understanding of the product.

That is why more meat sommeliers are needed in practice: in gastronomy, large kitchens, schools, consulting and training. They form the interface between craftsmanship and consumers, between knowledge and trust.

Visibility and self-image – learning from chefs

If we are honest, meat sommeliers could present themselves much more strongly in public.What chefs have long demonstrated – making their work, origins and passion visible – has only happened sporadically in our field.

We lack a common stage, a shared narrative and a consistent communication strategy.

Unlike wine sommeliers, who are already established as a cultural institution, the meat sommelier still often lacks a clear self-image.Not every butcher is automatically a meat sommelier – just as not every winemaker is a wine sommelier.

A meat sommelier stands for knowledge, sensory analysis, communication and education. This is not a side aspect of craftsmanship, but a discipline in its own right.

Outlook – responsibility and future

Fifteen years after its beginnings in Austria, the movement stands at a turning point.The pioneers have laid the foundation. The next step is to build a movement that is internationally connected, didactically sound and relevant in everyday practice.

New approaches such as Dynamic Core Temperature Analysis (DKA) and modern concepts of craft didactics show how science, education and practice can come together.

If the meat sommelier continues along this path, it will remain relevant – as a bridge builder, educator and ambassador.

Conclusion

The meat sommelier movement is a gift to the craft – born from passion, carried by knowledge and shaped by people who do not just process meat, but understand it.

But every gift comes with responsibility.It is now up to us to fill this title with new life, so that it remains what it was meant to be:

A symbol of craftsmanship, cultural education and lived expertise.