Reuben Sharples is the managing director of Aussie Butcher, New Lynn, and is an active member of the wider Aussie Butcher franchise. He has been doing butchery for nearly 22 years. He began as an apprentice doing home kills in Waipu. From there he moved to Greenwoods Corner butchery in Auckland, where he finished his trade. The next stop was London, where over two separate stints Reuben worked for nearly three years. There he did meat buying at the famous Smithfield Market, and worked in a busy local Chiswick butchery. Between the two stints in London he met Katie back in New Zealand, now his wife and the mother of his three children.
On his return to Auckland, Reuben worked for about two years at Victoria Avenue butchery, before stepping out into butcher shop ownership. After eighteen months at Coates Avenue, he set up the Newmarket Aussie Butcher shop, and then Aussie Butcher New Lynn. He has now been at New Lynn for eight years, and over eleven years in the Aussie Butcher franchise.
He appreciates the early input into his career of his own bosses, and is committed to the importance of training; four apprentices have now qualified under his tutelage. His apprentice Ben Nelson took out the Auckland Regional Comp last year. He has also been a regular judge at the Young Butchers competition.
Reuben is a regular medallist in the Devro Sausage Competition, including winning 6 golds. He represented the North Island in the 2014 North vs South butchery competition. He is also a director on the retail meat board and the nz pork board.
His latest venture has been to create his own brand, ‘Reuben’s’ for his wide range of sausages made in store and his award winning hams and smallgoods.