Frogs, Footy and Fine Cuts

We all know Chris Bolton is a diehard Bulldogs fan, but did you know he’s also a collector of geeky treasures? He has a trove of Masters of the Universe action figures, Ninja Turtles, and war memorial memorabilia. However, his most treasured collection is his crockery frogs! This tradition began with his grandfather, who gifted Chris his very first crockery frog after noticing his childhood fascination with catching and counting frogs, only to watch them jump free again. What started as a simple interest has evolved into a lifelong passion, and Chris can recall exactly who gifted him every single frog. He even took it a step further by raising 24 green tree frog tadpoles into healthy frogs with his kids, proving that his froggy fascination is much more than just a hobby.

Chris’s meat industry journey kicked off at the age of 15, ditching the textbooks to chase his butchery dreams. He cut his teeth at Woolworths but soon craved more. He moved on to Glenbrook Gourmet Butchery, a small community shop where he learned to break down beef and discovered his true passion for the craft. Next stop? Old Bathurst Meats, where he honed his portion control skills before laser cutting took over—Chris had that ‘laser vision’ for meat long before it was a thing!

After a brief stint in concreting (but that career wasn’t exactly set in concrete), Chris found his way back to the food industry with Bidfood in 2007. Over eight years, he mastered the ins and outs of food service from Sydney to Newcastle, picking up a few seafood secrets along the way. A few years at Primo Smallgoods later, he finally landed at Meyer Food Co. (MFC), where he’s been carving out his path for nearly six years as the National Sales Manager. His role is dynamic, juggling key accounts, training reps, and collaborating on new sous vide products, which he shows a lot of excitement for.

Through and through, Chris is all about family life. He’s been happily married for 14 years and is a proud dad of three (two boys and a little girl). With his growing tribe, he’s currently in the midst of upgrading to a bigger home on the coast, where he loves spending time outdoors, especially when there's water involved. And let’s not forget his BBQ skills—his favourite is lamb forequarter chops cut thick.

Chris’s enthusiasm doesn’t stop at home; it shines through in his work, especially when helping clients. One of his most memorable success stories was when he retrained a club’s staff who were struggling with early starts to get their roasts cooking but struggled with complaints of dry roasts. With the help of sous vide, they slashed cooking times by 21 hours per week, improved meal quality, and instead of cutting staff hours, they reinvested that time into upskilling, enhancing their skills, and making the meals even better.

Thinking further ahead, Chris dreams of exploring Europe’s ancient castles and diving into the rich history of the region. But for now, he’s more than content juggling his love for meat, cheering on the Bulldogs, and adding to his ever-growing frog collection while watching his kids grow up.