Peter Leitch (Mad Butcher)
Encyclopedia
Sir Peter Charles Leitch, KNZM
, QSM, (born 1944) is a New Zealand
businessman, also known as The Mad Butcher. Although well known in New Zealand for the chain of butcheries he founded, Leitch is arguably just as well known for his charity, fundraising work and his promotion of rugby league
.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, he left school at age 15 to work as a newspaper boy. He gained a job as a butcher's apprentice at the age of 16. The business he started in 1971 had 37 stores throughout New Zealand as of 2010.
Leitch is known for his work for charity and for his enthusiastic support of New Zealand rugby league
, the Mangere East Hawks
and the Warriors
, which has increased the sport's profile in New Zealand. He managed the Kiwi's
victorious Tri-Nations
campaign in late 2005. In recognition of his support of the Warriors the club have retired the #19 jersey in his honour. The Mad Butcher Suburban Newspapers Community Trust is a fundraising vehicle he helped create to benefit charities. Leitch is chairman of the trust, and the deputy chairman is David Penny, general manager of Fairfax Media Suburban Newspapers Auckland.
He has also fundraised for Allergy New Zealand, Diabetes Auckland, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Macular Degeneration New Zealand.
He was voted the 41st most influential
New Zealander by Listener
Magazine in 2004. He has a memorable way of talking, not unlike an auctioneer, that has caused various spoofs of 'The Mad Butcher' that included the Radio Hauraki
character 'The Bad Mutcher' on the Morning Pirates and Pulp Sport
formerly had a character named 'The Mad Mad Butcher'.
In 2010, Leitch was made a Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to business and philanthropy. He was awarded a Queen's Service Medal in 1991 for charitable work.
Later that year he featured on the TV One program This is Your Life".
In 2011 he was made patron of the New Zealand Rugby League
, replacing Helen Clark
.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, QSM, (born 1944) is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
businessman, also known as The Mad Butcher. Although well known in New Zealand for the chain of butcheries he founded, Leitch is arguably just as well known for his charity, fundraising work and his promotion of rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, he left school at age 15 to work as a newspaper boy. He gained a job as a butcher's apprentice at the age of 16. The business he started in 1971 had 37 stores throughout New Zealand as of 2010.
Leitch is known for his work for charity and for his enthusiastic support of New Zealand rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, the Mangere East Hawks
Mangere East Hawks
The Mangere East Hawks are a rugby league based in Mangere, New Zealand. The Hawks compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition.-History:The club was founded in 1964, before this teams from the area had been attached to the Otahuhu club...
and the Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
, which has increased the sport's profile in New Zealand. He managed the Kiwi's
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
victorious Tri-Nations
Rugby League Tri-Nations
The Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
campaign in late 2005. In recognition of his support of the Warriors the club have retired the #19 jersey in his honour. The Mad Butcher Suburban Newspapers Community Trust is a fundraising vehicle he helped create to benefit charities. Leitch is chairman of the trust, and the deputy chairman is David Penny, general manager of Fairfax Media Suburban Newspapers Auckland.
He has also fundraised for Allergy New Zealand, Diabetes Auckland, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Macular Degeneration New Zealand.
He was voted the 41st most influential
New Zealand Listener Power List
The New Zealand Listener Power List is a list of the most powerful people in New Zealand, compiled annually by the New Zealand Listener from 2004 to 2009. From 2004 to 2007, the list covered the 50 most powerful people without separating them by field...
New Zealander by Listener
New Zealand Listener
The New Zealand Listener is a New Zealand magazine. First published in 1939 and edited by Oliver Duff and the Monte Holcroft it originally had a monopoly on the publication of of upcoming television and radio programmes. In the 1980s it lost its monopoly on the publication of upcoming television...
Magazine in 2004. He has a memorable way of talking, not unlike an auctioneer, that has caused various spoofs of 'The Mad Butcher' that included the Radio Hauraki
Radio Hauraki
Radio Hauraki is a New Zealand radio network, specialising in album-oriented rock and classic rock. It was the first private commercial radio station of the modern broadcasting era in New Zealand and operated illegally from 1966-1970 to break the monopoly held by the government...
character 'The Bad Mutcher' on the Morning Pirates and Pulp Sport
Pulp Sport
Pulp Sport was a TV show filmed in New Zealand, that mixes sport with various styles of comedy. The hosts Jamie Linehan and Ben Boyce act under their respective pseudonyms Bill and Ben, performing a half hour of various sports based skits...
formerly had a character named 'The Mad Mad Butcher'.
In 2010, Leitch was made a Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to business and philanthropy. He was awarded a Queen's Service Medal in 1991 for charitable work.
Later that year he featured on the TV One program This is Your Life".
In 2011 he was made patron of the New Zealand Rugby League
New Zealand Rugby League
The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....
, replacing Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
.
External links
- Mad Butcher Website
- Hawkes Bay Today (2006): Mad Butcher tells fans of Warriors: Get over it, accessed 7 June 2010.
- Academy Publishing: Maddening Simple Philosophy, accessed 7 June 2010.
- Howick and Pakuranga Times: The Times Interview - Peter Leitch, Explain Yourself to Dean Wedlake, accessed 7 June 2010.