UNABILITY TO RETAIN GOOD QUALITY BUTCHERS

Unability to Retain Good Quality Butchers and Slothermans

Unability to Retain Good Quality Butchers and Slothermans

Introduction

A butcher should be friendly, happy, helpful and skilled to sell you something great. That whole surly, condescending butcher thing makes people scared of cooking, afraid of buying meat and leads them right back to getting the crap at the supermarket. If you're not excited to get out of bed every morning to work hard and love people you should hang up your knives and go work at the Post Office. A good customer should keep an open mind, not be a recipe slave and listen to their butcher: it's in his (or her) best interest to make your dinner the best it can possibly be. Most butchers work in retail. This could be in a high street butcher's shop or on the meat counter in a supermarket. The job is a mixture of product preparation and customer service. (Williams, Erin E. and DeMello, 2007, 34-76)

Butchers also work in wholesale. In this part of the industry the butcher deals with the carcasses that arrive from abattoirs, preparing and storing the meat before it is sent on to retailers or wholesale customers (such as hotels and restaurants). Most butchers work 38 to 40 hours a week, including Saturdays. Work usually starts early as it is common for deliveries to arrive from 7.00am. In supermarkets hours may be more varied as butchers usually work on a rota system, which can include evenings and Sundays. Retail butchers work in a shop environment and chilled storage areas. (Williams, Erin E. and DeMello, 2007, 34-76)

Salaries may range from around £12,000 to £28,000 a year.

A butcher must:

be practical and precise

be safety conscious when using sharp hand tools and machinery

have a professional approach to health and hygiene

have good customer service skills

maintain good relationships with suppliers

be interested in meat and working with the public.

Explanation

There are around 30,000 butchers currently working in the UK. Butchers work throughout the country, in supermarkets, butchers' shops and meat wholesalers. There remains a national shortage of people with good butchery skills. No formal qualifications are needed to become a butcher. However, employers are likely to look for a certain level of literacy and numeric. This may be demonstrated through the achievement of GCSEs grades (A*-E) in English, maths and a science subject. Some employers may set aptitude tests. Work experience in retail or in some area of the food and drink industry is also advantageous. Many people start their training through an Apprenticeship scheme. (Williams, Erin E. and DeMello, 2007, 34-76)

Most butchers train on the job. Employers may provide the opportunity to work towards relevant qualifications, such as an NVQ in food manufacture: retail butchery at Level 2, and food safety qualifications. Many awarding organisations offer relevant qualifications.

Supermarkets and independent retail chains offer good opportunities for promotion and career development. Alternatively, an experienced butcher may be able to set up their own retail ...