Port Perry butcher Marco Mazzarolo has earned the 2026 Ontario’s Finest Butcher title, bringing another provincial competition winner to Herrington’s Quality Butchers.
Meat & Poultry Ontario confirms that Mazzarolo won the final at the Meat Industry Expo at the International Centre in Mississauga on October 3. A new DurhamRegion.com profile examines the young butcher’s route back to the downtown Port Perry business after pursuing public health.
From a high-school job to a skilled trade
Mazzarolo first worked at Herrington’s while in high school. The organiser says he has been a full-time butcher for two years, returning to the shop after pursuing a public-health career.
The local profile identifies him as 24 and reports that the combination of practical work and direct customer service drew him back. It describes a business that has operated downtown for nearly three decades, with customers relying on staff to help prepare their meals.
His mentor is shop owner Brent Herrington, who won the same provincial title in 2019. The result gives the Port Perry shop two holders of the distinction rather than being its first appearance in the winner’s circle.
Two rounds tested different skills
The 2026 competition started with 11 butchers in an elimination round at Handtmann Canada in Waterloo on September 14. Technical accuracy, workmanship and core trade skills were assessed under time pressure.
Three finalists advanced: Mazzarolo, Connor Stewart of J&G Quality Meats and Nick Projkovski of Metro. The final added creative and retail-presentation challenges to the cutting work.
According to the organiser, competitors knew their assigned cuts beforehand and worked within a pantry budget to develop a display concept. Judges considered merchandising, presentation, consumer appeal and how finalists explained the choices behind their products.
A display connected food and family
The Port Perry butcher’s winning presentation connected products with family stories. DurhamRegion.com reports that his international grilling theme drew partly on his family’s Argentine background and used a beef top sirloin, a veal rack and two whole chickens.
Organiser feedback singled out the organisation and execution of the display as well as Mazzarolo’s technical and creative performance. The competition, now in its 13th year, is intended to showcase skilled professionals and encourage people considering the trade.
The award was decided earlier in October; this report does not present the result as a competition held today. The current local profile offers a Durham-focused account of the winner’s career path, verified against the organiser’s competition report.
