Staff › Victor Churchill – Fine Family Butcher. Est 1876

Meat the team at Victor Churchill

Making sure you enjoy your time at Victor Churchill is why our dedicated team get out of bed before the sun is up, turn on the lights, fill the fridges with delicious treats and check on the dry aging meat! Our team of industry professionals at Victor Churchill will turn your visit into an experience ‘par excellence’ – much more than just an average trip to your local butcher!

With chefs who have worked alongside some of the world’s finest, to foodies who have travelled the world and our long-term, meat industry professionals – you will be hard pressed to find such an amazing depth of knowledge or a more passionate team of gourmands – all waiting to serve you!

Victor Puharich

Victor Puharich comes from a long line of butchers. His grandfather, father and brothers were all butchers in Croatia, where he was born. However, it was not until Vic arrived in Sydney in 1971 and began working with his brother for a meat exporter that he knew being a butcher was what he wanted to do in life.

After working in the butchering industry for more than 20 years Vic opened his own butcher store on Oxford Street, Sydney in 1996. In 1999 Vic and his son Anthony decided to change the direction and grow Vic’s Premium Quality Meat from a retail shop to a meat wholesaler. Getting bigger required a willingness to change and to invest. In 1999, Vic’s Premium Quality Meat moved to a new purpose-built building in Mascot, with state-of-the-art cool rooms, cutting floors and packing rooms, as well as a dedicated dry-age beef room, for specialist beef products for restaurants.

Victor, a master butcher was inducted into the Food Hall of Fame in October 2007 <hyperlink to http://www.vicsmeat.com.au/files/media/SydneyMag_Food_Hall_of_Fame_09_07.pdf>. Victor, after so many years in the meat industry, still loves to butcher meat to the highest of standards and to share his knowledge and passion with his customers.

Victor Puharich comes from a long line of butchers in Croatia, where he was born.

Vic opened his own butcher store on Oxford Street, Sydney in 1996. In 1999 Vic and his son Anthony grew Vic’s Premium Quality Meat from a retail shop to a meat wholesaler. Vic’s Meat moved to a purpose-built building in Mascot, with state-of-the-art cool rooms, cutting floors, packing rooms and a dedicated dry-age room.

Victor was inducted into the Food Hall of Fame in October 2007. He still loves to butcher meat to the highest of standards and share his knowledge and passion with his customers.
Anthony Puharich

Anthony Puharich, along with his Father, grew Vic’s Premium Quality Meat from a retail shop on Oxford St, Sydney to an international meat wholesaler.

Anthony Puharich completed a finance and economics degree at Queensland’s Bond University, before realising that his entrepreneurial skills could be better put to use in the family business. He has grown the Vic’s Meat brand internationally, and was instrumental in the re-birth of Victor Churchill. Anthony has featured in many of the country’s top food magazines, ABC radio, ‘Fresh’ on Channel 9, and is recognised as one of the leading voices in the industry.
Romeo Baudouin

Romeo, a native Frenchman, has over 18 years experience in the business. Originally trained in Brittany, France, Romeo took his skills to Harrods in London where he produced their charcuterie. After a few years Romeo moved into some of the best restaurants and worked with some of the best in both London and Sydney (Marco Pierre White’s Mirrabell in London and in Sydney at Guillaume at Bennelong) and as Head Chef at GPO Restaurants and Bars.

Prior to Victor Churchill, Romeo ran his own successful charcuterie business which worked closely with Vic’s Premium Quality Meat.
Erica Goldfinch

Erica has been managing hotels, bars and restaurants across Sydney for over twelve years including for Ryan’s Hotel Group and Solotel and is thrilled to be managing Victor Churchill for the Puharich family. After working for 12 months with Sydney’s top fromagers at GPO Wine and Cheese Room, Erica has now turned her attention to quality meats. Her skills in functions, events and entertaining have also seen the launch of the ‘Victor Churchill Experience’ which includes Butchery and Cooking Schools, Store Tours and Victor Churchills Private Dining Room.
Kimberly Zirilli

Originally from the small town of Griffith NSW, a vibrant city full of culinary traditions and renowned for the local fresh produce, Kimberly is a new addition to the Victor Churchill team. Whilst pursuing her studies in event management, Kimberly is continuing to explore her passion for food, engrained in her at a young age through her rich Italian heritage. Kimberly is excited to be working at Victor Churchill to further her culinary knowledge and appreciate the excellence of fine Australian produce.
Darren O’Rourke

Darren has 20 years experience in the hospitality industry, specifically in food and beverage and managing bars in both Sydney and London. After extensive travels through Spain and Italy, Darren turned his attention towards the kitchen. Taken under Serge Dansereau’s wing at The Bathers Pavilion , Darren worked his way up through the kitchen to the role of Sous Chef.

After two years as Sous Chef at Surry Hills Bird Cow Fish, Darren found his way to Victor Churchill and now joins the team as the third butcher under the watchful eye of Danny and Peter.
Danny Woodward

Danny started as an apprentice in 1963, as a 16 year old with W.A Grubb (est 1908). His love of food and helping customers has kept him in the job that he loves - butchery for over 46 years. One of his highlights has been meeting his wife and having three children and two gorgeous granddaughters.

Danny’s other highlight has been meeting and working with Victor Puharich, and after many years, having the opportunity to work in a butcher store like Victor Churchill. After 46 years Danny is excited to still be continually learning about a job he is so passionate about.
Peter Taylor

Peter, a country boy, was born and bred in Walgett, NSW. He moved to Sydney when he was 16 to start his apprenticeship in Sydney’s west. Peter worked with the same butcher for 12 years where he learnt the importance of multi-tasking as he served customers, the art of breaking down carcasses and sausage making.

Peter was hired as the youngest supervisor with TA Fields which was quite an accomplishment for a 22 year old. Peter bought his own butcher shop in Randwick which he successfully ran for eight years and after selling the business, Peter moved into the Rosebay area where he enjoys life in the eastern suburbs. Peter is passionate about meat and likes assisting customers with their meat selection.
Lynsey Coughlan

Hailing from the Emerald Isle, and with a decade of hospitality experience behind her – including front of House Manager for Intercontinental Hotels and Assistant Operations Manager for Jurysdoyle Hotel Group, Lynsey set out to explore culinary pastures new and found herself in Sydney. The last 14 months have seen Lynsey finesse her gourmet skills in one of Queen Street’s best loved foodie institutions. It was inevitable then, with her love and knowledge of food, a desire to impart this knowledge to others and a need to exceed expectations, that she should find her way to the bastion of gastronomy that is Victor Churchill.
Luke Twemlow

Luke has joined the Victor Churchill team as a qualified chef with over 5 years experience from venues across Australia. A local lad who brings a smile, friendly service and advice on the finest cuts of meat for either your special event or to feed your family on a budget. Lukes creative mind will ensure visitors to our store receive a delicious solution to any of their gastronomic needs.
Brent Wasserman

Wandering past Victor Churchill one Saturday afternoon Brent Wasserman’s curiosity got the better of him, observing the commotion around the store it led him to venture inside. Making his way through the store he finally arrived at the slicing counter and the Biltong on display. When offered a taste of the dried Wagyu delicacy, with origins tied to his families homeland, he eagerly accepted and consumed it with great gusto exclaiming ‘I’ve died and gone to heaven, how do I get a job here?’

Brent’s enthusiasm for the store hasn’t waned either, coming from a family which has a strong background in hospitality and an inherent interest in food, generated from travels through Europe, the rest as they say, is history.
Margot Wilkinson

Margot spent her early years on a farm in the Western District of Victoria where her parents raised beef and lamb. Her passion and love for all things food and wine started while living in the amazing region of Coonawarra in South Australia. Margot has travelled extensively around the globe in her career in the army and later as an EHS manager across the Asian Pacific regions. Margots knowledge of cooking and produce is second to none and no recipe or dish to hard…
James Golding

James Golding started his apprenticeship 6 years ago at one of Sydney’s busiest Seafood restaurants where his passion for food and cooking really took hold. At times James worked in kitchens catering for over 3000 guests at a time and thrived in the busy kitchens across Sydney as he completed his apprenticeship. Coming from a family home always filled with people being entertained by his father, James has been driven to constantly learn new skills and develop his own areas of expertise. James is once again thriving in a busy kitchen learning Charcuterie and various French cooking skills alongside our resident Frenchmen Romeo and Laurent.
Forhad Chowdhury

Forhad joined the Victor Churchill team over winter while completing his studies in IT. Like many of the staff in the store, Forhad was bit by the ‘food bug’ and an inner passion for cooking has risen to the surface. Forhad now trains across all areas of the store learning cooking with Romeo and is also learning butchery with our seasoned butchers Danny and Peter. Forhads versatility has been a blessing coming into Summer as the store increases production ready for Christmas. He hopes to start his apprenticeship next year in either butchery or cooking.
Alex Bell

Responding to our position vacant ad in the shop front window Alex beat her brother’s application by merely a few hours! Since then a firm passion for all things protein has manifested itself in Alex’s base appetite! With Polish heritage and strong family ties Alex’s grandparents have maintained a strong link to European culture and cuisine which can easily be seen in her interest, knowledge and enthusiasm for good food. Alex joins us for a few days per week while she is completing her early childhood teaching degree.