Butchery Apprentice

Summary

Spearings now looking for a hardworking and enthusiastic Butchery Apprentice to join their close-knit team and learn the craft of traditional butchery in a supportive, fast-paced environment.

Wage

£14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

To be discussed at interview stage

Training course

Butcher (level 2)

Hours

To be discussed at interview stage.

37 hours a week

Start date

Wednesday 2 July 2025

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

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

As a Butchery Apprentice, your day-to-day duties will include:

Serving Customers:

Providing friendly and efficient service
Taking customer orders accurately
Offering advice on cuts of meat and preparation methods
Handling transactions and using the till

Boning Out Meat:

Learning and assisting with boning and preparing various meats
Ensuring correct cutting techniques are followed
Maintaining quality and portion control
Keeping meat trays filled and tidy
Regularly topping up and rotating meat trays
Making sure displays are clean, appealing, and well-stocked
Ensuring correct labelling and pricing

Pie Making:

Assisting in the preparation of homemade pies
Following recipes and instructions
Maintaining hygiene and consistency in all products

Where you’ll work

12 PARK GREEN
MACCLESFIELD
SK11 7NA

Training

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

College or training organisation

REASEHEATH COLLEGE

Your training course

Butcher (level 2)

Equal to GCSE

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.
Uses knives and cutting equipment to undertake a range of primary and secondary butchery skills.

Your training plan

The butchery apprenticeship training will take place 1 day a week at Reaseheath College. This will be 12 to 18 months depending on previous experience.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

English, Maths (grade 4 / C and above)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Organisation skills
Customer care skills
Problem solving skills
Team working

About this company

Spearings are a traditional quality family-run butchers and bakers, owned and operated by three sisters and their mother, proudly continuing the legacy of their late father, Marshall. Their busy shop is well known in the local area for our high standards, excellent service, and loyal regular customers.

After this apprenticeship

Progression after achieving the Level 2 Apprenticeship candidates can progress through to a Level 3 advanced apprenticeship in butchery.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is: