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Women in Butchery
Why More Women are Becoming Butchers
Meet the female butchery apprentices cutting across barriers and breaking into a traditional male bastion.
Meet Jody — apprentice butcher at Sutcliffe Meats in Sydney.
Watch Jody's story about why she loves her job as a butcher, and her plans for a long and rewarding career in the industry.
Meet Zoe — apprentice butcher at Bush's Meats in Sydney.
Watch Zoe's story about what motivated her to embark on a career in the meat industry and why it is a great career choice for women.
New directions for one of the world's oldest trades
Women are increasingly taking up apprenticeships in butchery
The butchery trade has traditionally been men's business. The stereotypical notion of butchers is one of jolly men in white shirts, blue aprons and sheaths filled with knives—but that image is starting to change as women join the industry.
Nevertheless, women are still the surprise behind the counter, at the abattoir or in the farming sector. From field to fork, men continue to outnumber women across all facets of the industry.
We think this needs to change, and that's why we created this website to show women of all ages that a career in butchery is not only rewarding, but can provide a high level of employability and career satisfaction. Butchery combines culinary skill, customer service, visual artistry and a dedication to quality.
Women in butchery find their skills can take them on a variety of career pathways including:
- Being part of the future of the food industry.
- Travelling and working around the world in the trade.
- Starting their own business.
- Teaching others about meat practices.
- Helping to create an environmentally sustainable future.
- Employing and training apprentices.
- Advising retail butchers on window displays.
- Participating in global skills challenges.
- Management roles in the meat and retail industry.
Whether you live in the city, the outback, or somewhere in between, an apprenticeship in butchery could be the career you've been looking for.
Call HTN on 1300 139 108 to learn more.
Contemporary consumer habits are drawing women to the industry
In Australia, a preference for rearing meat well and using every part of an animal is being driven by evolving consumer attitudes to animal welfare and sustainability. As a society, many of us see ourselves as gourmet home cooks, choosing to use an ever more adventurous array of cuts and animal types. It is increasingly common for us to want to know where our food comes from, whether it was grass or grain-fed and what additives it contains.
And of course we also want to know how to cook it—perfectly, every time—and this is where the product knowledge and advice provided by your local butcher will always have an advantage over pre-packaged meat products with generic cooking instructions on a tiny label.
Butchers are an important part of the farm to table experience. As well as traditional meat products, your local butcher shop is likely to produce small goods, marinaded meats, stir fries, pies and exciting ranges of charcuterie. Changes in customer tastes and preferences is making a career in butchery more attractive to women.
What's involved in a Butchery Apprenticeship?
What will you do and learn in a Butchery Apprenticeship?
As a butchery apprentice you'll learn on the job while you undertake a nationally accredited Certificate III in Meat Processing (Retail Butcher). During your training you will master the art of breaking down carcass meat, cutting and trimming smaller cuts and fine artisan techniques. You will also learn to manage retail operations so you are ready for your career to take off in the meat industry.
An apprentice butcher will typically:
Cut, trim and shape standard cuts of meat to size
Process carcasses into primary and secondary cuts
Pack and store products for display and sale
Order supplies from wholesalers using AUS-MEAT Language, and weigh and check stock on receipt
Assemble and operate mincers, grinders, mixers, patty-forming or sausage-forming machines, and band saws
Use correct detergents and sanitisers to prevent food poisoning and contamination of premises and equipment
Assist clients (including hotels and restaurants) with menu planning, estimating food portions and production costs
Collect payment for sales
Prepare marinated meats and ready-to-cook dishes
Advise customers about alternative cuts, cooking methods, storage requirements and nutritional aspects of meat.
Find out more about apprenticeships and traineeships at Australian Apprenticeships.Find out more about the Certificate III in Meat Processing (Retail Butchery)
Available at 6 TAFENSW campus locations across NSW.
Why hire or host a female Apprentice Butcher?
The benefits of hiring or hosting a female apprentice.
Female butchers are an uncommon sight in butcheries anywhere in the world. But businesses that don’t encourage women to join them are missing out on the talents and abilities of half the population. Tapping into these can make a huge difference to your productivity and your bottom line.
Customers come from all walks of life. The more the make-up of your business reflects your customers the more likely it is you’ll understand your customer's needs. Women can bring a different approach to butchering than men. Their advantage is their attention to detail. Their feminine touch (more dainty and delicate cuts instead of the macho chunks of beef their male colleagues prefer) look a lot more attractive to customers, who, as the old saying goes, buy with their eyes. The unique female perspective on meat cutting and displaying is an advantage. Women also tend to be better at giving cookery advice to customers.
The lack of women in butchery will differentiate you as the business that has a diverse workforce with genuinely equal job opportunities. Having both women and men on your team means you benefit from the different points of view and approaches that come from different life experiences. Different perspectives can spark creativity and innovation, and help businesses create new opportunities. It can also encourage others to challenge gender stereotypes. Good butchers are good butchers, regardless of anything else.
Join us by engaging more female apprentices and creating a more level playing field for female butchers. We can all do more to create a greater diversity within the meat sector, which will bring greater profitability that is sustainable long into the future.
Looking for a new butchery apprentice?
Let us know and we'll get in touch with you soon.
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