A Stafford Heights butcher shop is leading a Queensland-wide public vote to name the best butcher in the All The Best competition, with Rode Meats sitting first on the latest leaderboard as local food businesses compete for community support.
Rode Meats Tops The Butcher Leaderboard
Rode Meats, based on Appleby Road in Stafford Heights, is currently listed in first place in the butcher category. The Bellmere Butcher on Bellmere Road is ranked second, while The Butcher Shoppe on Wynnum Road in Cannon Hill is third.
The competition asks Queenslanders to vote for their favourite businesses, food outlets and destinations across 15 categories. These include butcher, bakery, cafe, burger joint, fish and chip shop, florist, gym, hairdresser or barber, ice cream shop, pizzeria, pub, beach, camping and 4WD spot, bánh mì place and tourism attraction.
For the butcher category, the contest has become a friendly race among local shops, with public voting, social media attention and creative sausage-making helping draw interest.
Stafford Heights Shop Builds On Decades Of Trade
Rode Meats describes itself as a family-owned and operated butcher shop in Stafford Heights. The business has been operating since 1980 and is located at the Rode Road Shopping Centre.
The shop supplies beef, chicken, lamb, pork, roasts, sausages, low-and-slow meats and ready-to-go items. It also lists past recognition, including a 2020 Brisbane butcher title and a 2020 Australia’s Best Continental Sausage award.
Its current position in the All The Best butcher category adds to a period of wider attention for the business. Apprentice butcher Ethan Johns has helped Rode Meats build a large online following, with one sausage-making video receiving more than 5.8 million views.
Social Media Adds Flavour To The Contest
The butcher vote has also highlighted how Queensland shops are using social media to show how their products are made. The Bellmere Butcher has drawn attention for unusual sausage combinations, including hot chips with rump steak and pepper gravy, slow-cooked brisket with mac and cheese, and spicy ramen.
Rode Meats has been noted for its growing following, team focus and planned expansion, with two more sister stores expected to open in Brisbane within the next year.
Although the competition has been described as a battle among butchers, the tone remains friendly. The contest is centred on local support, customer loyalty and the public vote rather than direct rivalry.
Voting closes on Thursday, 28 May. Each vote gives the voter one entry into a prize draw for a Queensland Day prize pack valued at more than $1,800, including All World Annual passes, a Skypoint dining experience and a Flight Centre travel voucher.
Winners will be announced on Wednesday, 3 June, ahead of Queensland Day on Saturday, 6 June. Rode Meats remains the Stafford Heights name at the top of the butcher leaderboard.
Published 25-May-2026
