Apprentice Butcher

ST EDMUNDS BUTCHERS AND CATERING LTD

Bury St. Edmunds (IP33 1EA)

Closes in 17 days (Sunday 25 October 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 9 September 2026

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Summary

Join our award-winning butchers and bakery team and turn your passion for food into a rewarding career. We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to become part of our friendly family-run business. Full training will be provided giving you hands-on experience in food preparation, production, and artisan food manufacturing.

Wage

£13,520 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

The apprentice will be paid the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices, in line with current government regulations. Rates are reviewed annually and will be applied in accordance with the apprentice's age and stage of the apprenticeship.

Training course

Butcher (level 2)

Hours

The apprentice will work between Monday and Saturday, 9.00am - 4.00pm, with one day off during the week. A 30-minute lunch break is provided. This is about 32.5 working hours per week. Some flexibility may be required during busy seasonal periods.

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Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

No two days are ever the same in our busy butcher and bakery business. As an apprentice, you will gain hands-on experience across a wide range of food preparation and production tasks. Your duties may include:

• Crafting sausage rolls
• Pies
• Cakes
• Kebabs
• Burgers
• Sausages
• Traditional butchery skills
• Lamb carcass breakdown
• Meat preparation

You will work alongside experienced team members, helping to develop seasonal products. Maintain high food quality standards and provide excellent service to our customers.

This is a varied and practical role that offers the opportunity to learn valuable skills in both artisan baking and butchery.

Where you'll work

3 Brentgovel Street

Bury St. Edmunds IP33 1EA

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Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

MEAT EAST ANGLIA TRADES (IPSWICH) LIMITED

Training course

Butcher (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

• Comply with regulations and legislation relevant to their role and business.
• Maintains and sharpens knives and cutting equipment.
• Manual handling of carcases or primals through the manufacturing or butchery process.
• Adhere to the organisational policies and standard operating procedures.
• Maintain the meat product to the given customer specification and food safety compliance and traceability procedures in the meat supply chain.
• Support colleagues in delivering the daily workplace requirements.
• Use technology and applications to support production, sales, and customer service.
• Contribute to continuous improvement activities which focus on improving sustainability within the business.
• Communicate with customers and stakeholders to meet their requirements.
• Process and dispose of waste material.
• Uses knives and cutting equipment to undertake a range of primary and secondary butchery skills.
• Serve customers in line with brand standards.
• Advise customers on the use by dates, storage, preparation, and cooking of meat products.
• Prepare, produce, and display meat products such as joints, portions, sausages, burgers, value-added products and offer alternative products when required.
• Plan and prepare for seasonal supply and demand of meat products in the merchandising and promotion of seasonal foods.
• Provide provenance and heritage product information.
• Set up and close meat counter displays.
• Balance the customers’ needs with additional linked products and services such as marinades, and encourage customer loyalty and repeat business.
• Produce meat to the specific volume, size, and weight to meet the needs of stakeholders.
• Maximise the saleable yield for the business relating to carcases or primals.
• Contribute to efficiencies to support the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the business through working to agreed specifications for their role.
• Adhere to customer specifications and contracts.
• Contribute to foreign body control and metal detection.
• Meet key performance indicators within meat processing.
• Comply with regulations and legislation relevant to their role and business.
• Maintains and sharpens knives and cutting equipment.
• Manual handling of carcases or primals through the manufacturing or butchery process.
• Adhere to the organisational policies and standard operating procedures.
• Maintain the meat product to the given customer specification and food safety compliance and traceability procedures in the meat supply chain.
• Support colleagues in delivering the daily workplace requirements.
• Use technology and applications to support production, sales, and customer service.
• Contribute to continuous improvement activities which focus on improving sustainability within the business.
• Communicate with customers and stakeholders to meet their requirements.
• Process and dispose of waste material.
• Uses knives and cutting equipment to undertake a range of primary and secondary butchery skills.