Butcher - Wholesale

Introduction

Wholesale butchers cut, store and present ready packed meat. They do not work directly with customers, but provide supplies for retail butchers, supermarkets and restaurants. They must clean their tools and work area during the day.

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Work Activities

A wholesale butcher bones, cuts and packs meat for sale to retail and catering butchers, restaurants and hotels. This may include meat for export to overseas customers. Meat such as lamb, beef and pork is cut from a carcass into various quantities and sizes and then carefully stored in boxes and refrigerated until sold. Equipment such as band saws for cutting frozen meat and butchering knives are used and these have to be handled carefully to avoid accidents.

A wholesale butcher is responsible for cleaning tools and working areas during the day. They must assist with the operation of cold stores for the storage of meat and meat products and prepare the meat for despatch. They must maintain hygienic working practices at all times.

Protective clothing including overalls, hats and wellingtons and in some cases chain metal aprons are worn at all times. Butchers usually work in covered markets or depots that are messy and kept deliberately cold.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

As a wholesale butcher, you need to be physically fit to cope with long periods of standing. The ability to lift heavy boxes containing meat is also important. A steady hand and common sense are needed for handling cutting equipment at the expected speed. A butcher must not be squeamish when seeing and handling raw flesh and blood.

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Pay and Opportunities

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Wholesale butchers earn in the range of £220 - £250 a week, rising to £300 - £350. Higher earners can make around £420 a week.

Wholesale butchers usually work a basic 40-hour week, with early starts and early finishes (around 5:00am to 12:00pm).

Employers throughout the UK are private wholesale meat companies. Wholesale butchers can also use their skills within other meat operations, for example, retail butchers, manufacturing butchers and meat cutting factory work.

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Adult Opportunities

It is now illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Some entrants have developed relevant skills by working in food preparation.

Modern Apprenticeships may be available in some areas.

• 2% of wholesale butchers work part-time.
• 4% of employees work flexible hours.
• 1% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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