Today you'll meet Rhys in Episode 10 of What a Stranger Told Me - a 20-year-old qualified butcher who’s already lived a lifetime in boots and blades. This storytelling podcast uncovers honest moments from everyday lives.

Apprenticed at 16, he’s sharpened knives that shave hair, run bandsaws through hands, and tomorrow he’ll dress a cow from paddock to plate. “I love the whole side of it,” he says. Old-school butchers in their 40s and 50s took him under their wing—cruisy, no bullshit, just craft.Raised on AC/DC, Metallica, and Green Day, he traded city clubs for rodeo dust. “No drugs, no drama—just beers and bulls.”

He’s jumped on a mate’s cow drunk, got bucked into a tree, laughed it off. “Stupid, but fun.” One day he’ll open his own shop—small town, sharp knives, honest meat.Favourite time? Cruising the bush after dark, windows down, radio loud. No drink-driving, no fuss. “I’ve never understood the point.”

This episode of What a Stranger Told Me is about craft, courage, and staying real at 20. It’s warm, real, and full of heart—proof a quick chat can cut deep. Join Jon to hear Rhys’s story, a gentle reminder every stranger carries a trade worth hearing about.

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Made & Hosted by Tim Reid & Jon Coghill
Music Supervision by Dennis Feletto
Photography by Will Reid & Andy McColl

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