Butchery Apprentice

As a Butchery Apprentice, you will be trained and mentored by experienced in-house butchers, whilst completing your Level 2 qualification with M.E.A.T, a specialist butchery training provider. Your tutor at M.E.A.T will regularly visit you at Cranswick to check on your progress, as well as be available for support virtually.

Wage

• £23,920 a year
• Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
• Pension – 3% employer contributions/5% employee contributions
• Discounted local gym membership
• Death in service insurance

Training Course

• Butcher (level 2)

Hours

• Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm
• 40 hours a week

Start Date

• Tuesday 1 September 2026

Duration

• 1 year 3 months

Positions Available

• 3

What You'll Do at Work

• Learn to butcher and prepare different specifications of meat cuts
• Follow specifications to ensure the top quality of product
• Learn to handle knives and machinery safely and efficiently
• Adhere to Health, Safety and Food Hygiene regulations and best practises
• Develop a strong foundation to build a future career in Butchery

Where You'll Work

• Cranswick Country Foods
• Brandon Road
• Watton
• Norfolk
• IP25 6LW

Training Provider

• MEAT EAST ANGLIA TRADES (IPSWICH) LIMITED

Training Course

• Butcher (level 2)

What You'll Learn

• Course contents
  • 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.