James Smith started his working life as a night-shift worker in a small butcher shop. Thirteen years later he’s won multiple awards, including the 2020 NZ Butcher of the Year and was selected for the New Zealand Sharp Blacks team - that’s right, there is such a thing. But it was in a Sydney competition that earned the title, The Tattooed Butcher, an identity he’s now fully embraced on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Vincent spoke to James for a few minutes between his busy schedule of filming and managing those spring orders for his online shop.