Meat Raffle
Encyclopedia
A meat raffle is a tradition of raffling
off meat
, often in pubs and bars, common in Britain, Australia, in the USA in Minnesota
and Wisconsin
, and in Western Canada. In most parts of Britain and Canada a meat raffle is known as a meat draw.
In some cases the raffle is operated by a designated charity, though in Britain most of the proceeds are spent on prizes and the raffle is run as a social occasion and a method of enticing customers into a local pub. The meat ranges in animal and cut and often comes from local butchers.
A typical meat raffle would have approximately 25-30 tickets sold at $1 each, though there is considerable variation and some raffles are much larger. Depending on the specific raffle, when a winning number is called the winner can either pick their cut of meat or opt for a gift certificate. All proceeds typically go to a charity
.
Also simply known as a meat tray, the tradition is well known in Australian and New Zealand pubs. The trays of meat raffled vary in content: a barbecue style mix of steaks, lamb chops, sausages etc is the most common, however "breakfast trays" (bacon, eggs, sausages) and "seafood trays" (prawns, oysters, mussels) are also common. Meat trays are usually raffled to raise money for local sporting teams, often those associated with the particular pub the raffle occurs in. The proceeds often help fund the team's end of season trip.
Care must be taken with seafood trays given the propensity for the contents to spoil in the heat as the lucky winner continues drinking; often a friendly publican will store the tray in the fridge until the winner is sufficiently refreshed and ready to head home.
An Australian variant of the meat raffle is the chook raffle
where a chicken is raffled off.
A meat raffle is also a party in a small space with a lot of people packed closely together.
Part of the interval at the BDO World Darts Championship
includes a meat raffle to raise funds for youth teams.
Raffle
A raffle is a competition in which people obtain numbered tickets, each ticket having the chance of winning a prize. At a set time, the winners are drawn from a container holding a copy of every number...
off meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
, often in pubs and bars, common in Britain, Australia, in the USA in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and in Western Canada. In most parts of Britain and Canada a meat raffle is known as a meat draw.
In some cases the raffle is operated by a designated charity, though in Britain most of the proceeds are spent on prizes and the raffle is run as a social occasion and a method of enticing customers into a local pub. The meat ranges in animal and cut and often comes from local butchers.
A typical meat raffle would have approximately 25-30 tickets sold at $1 each, though there is considerable variation and some raffles are much larger. Depending on the specific raffle, when a winning number is called the winner can either pick their cut of meat or opt for a gift certificate. All proceeds typically go to a charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
.
Also simply known as a meat tray, the tradition is well known in Australian and New Zealand pubs. The trays of meat raffled vary in content: a barbecue style mix of steaks, lamb chops, sausages etc is the most common, however "breakfast trays" (bacon, eggs, sausages) and "seafood trays" (prawns, oysters, mussels) are also common. Meat trays are usually raffled to raise money for local sporting teams, often those associated with the particular pub the raffle occurs in. The proceeds often help fund the team's end of season trip.
Care must be taken with seafood trays given the propensity for the contents to spoil in the heat as the lucky winner continues drinking; often a friendly publican will store the tray in the fridge until the winner is sufficiently refreshed and ready to head home.
An Australian variant of the meat raffle is the chook raffle
Chook raffle
Chook raffle is the name given to the Australian tradition of 'raffling off' chicken meat, often in clubs.The name derives from "chook", the Australian slang term for a chicken...
where a chicken is raffled off.
A meat raffle is also a party in a small space with a lot of people packed closely together.
Part of the interval at the BDO World Darts Championship
BDO World Darts Championship
The BDO World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the British Darts Organisation . It began in 1978, and was the only world championship tournament until 1994...
includes a meat raffle to raise funds for youth teams.