How to Become a Butcher

Butchers primarily work in grocery stores. Their jobs are to separate and package meat we see in display cases at grocery stores. In their work, butchers need to know how to wield knives, grinders and saws with accuracy and efficiency.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Become a butcher's apprentice. Learning under an experienced butcher is valuable, and it gives you hands-on experience right from the start.

2. Learn how to become comfortable in cold damp rooms. To maintain a proper temperature for meats, the working area must be cold enough to keep meat from spoiling.

3. Develop a desire to work your way to the top. Be comfortable with starting from the bottom. Most of apprentice butchers' training will take place on the job with straightforward simple cuts and deboning.

4. Practice good hand-eye coordination. This is extremely important in order to keep all your fingers.

5. Develop upper body strength. Butchers have to lift heavy uncut portions of meat.

Tips & Warnings

• Due to fat, blood and condensation on floors, butchers or meat cutters are more prone to injuries than workers on other jobs.

• Stand for long periods of time is a requirements, and often hard on feet and legs. Butchers do not sit down on the job.