Working class knight

Wellington-born Peter Leitch, known to his fans as the “Mad Butcher”, has received a knighthood in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours. Leitch, a butcher, former gravedigger and avid rugby league fan, says his knighthood is a striking blow for the working class. He is being honoured for his extensive charity work, which started when he supplied meat packs to his local rugby league club 4 years ago, and for “services to business and philanthropy”. With 37 butchery chains now under his belt he says the knighthood was not for him. “It’s really not just me getting it, it’s the people of New Zealand, the people who have supported me over the years,” he said, saying people often gave him their last dollar or two to help a charity he was with.