Man flies 4,220 miles to visit Doncaster viral video "biggest chopper" butcher

The customer flew 4,220 from Antigua in the West Indies to visit Wadworth’s E V Slack and Sons which has become an internet sensation with regular videos featuring butcher Matt Slack brandishing a huge knife – dubbed his big chopper.

Sharing details of the trip and a video showing the pair laughing and joking outside the shop on the firm’s Facebook page, Matt said: “That’s dedication.

"Unfortunately he didn’t bring the weather with him but we’re used to the rain in Yorkshire.”

He then tells the customer: “Who’s got the biggest chopper?,” with the customer, clutching the huge blade, replying: “Me at the minute!”

Last year, Matt was named Digital Innovator of the Year at the 2023 British Farming Awards for his TikTok and Facebook videos, explaining butchery and where meat comes from, all the time brandishing his big chopper.

Judges said: “As a farmer and butcher, Matt knows that British meat is the best in the world so that gives him a running start when he promotes the industry on social media, and he does that with quite remarkable results.”

Since he embarked on his social media campaign in 2020 he has notched up more than 100,000 followers, a number that grows daily, and achieved over 50 million views.

He farms 90 acres in Doncaster, diversifying into butchery after foot-and-mouth forced changes to the business.

His on-farm slaughterhouse, one of very few small independent abattoirs remaining, also provides an important service for other farmers and local farm shops.

On social media he has set out with an ambition to educate people, in particular the younger generation, about where their food originates from and why they should be backing British farmers.

“My posts have become very popular, especially with the younger generation who had believed that their meat came out of a packet from a supermarket,’’ says Matt.

On TikTok, he goes by the name of slackys1 and posts on Facebook as E V Slack and Sons.

“It’s helping me get the message out there that British meat is the best in the world, which is something as farmers we should be proud of,’’ said Matt.