Butcher

Role overview

Key responsibilities

• Receive, inspect, and prepare fresh meat, poultry, and other approved animal products according to recipes, specifications, and food-safety standards.
• Cut, trim, debone, portion, mince, weigh, and prepare products using appropriate knives, saws, mincers, and other equipment.
• Prepare meat cuts and portions for restaurants, banqueting, room service, events, and other kitchen requirements.
• Follow preparation specifications, portion guidelines, and presentation standards to maintain consistency and minimise waste.
• Inspect meat for freshness, quality, temperature, colour, odour, damage, and suitability; report concerns promptly.
• Label, date, package, and store prepared meat correctly, following food-safety, traceability, and stock-rotation procedures.
• Maintain records for deliveries, temperatures, preparation, stock usage, waste, and traceability.
• Monitor stock and communicate needs for meat, packaging, ingredients, and butchery supplies.
• Use knives, slicers, bandsaws, mincers, scales, refrigeration equipment, and other tools safely and efficiently.
• Maintain personal hygiene and follow food safety, allergen management, cross-contamination prevention, and HACCP procedures.
• Keep butchery areas, preparation surfaces, equipment, cold rooms, storage areas, and utensils clean, sanitised, organised, and in good working order.
• Dispose of waste according to company procedures and local requirements; identify opportunities to reduce waste.

Requirements

• Previous experience as a butcher, meat preparer, or in a similar professional kitchen or food-production role is required.
• Knowledge of meat preparation, cutting, trimming, portioning, deboning, storage, and presentation techniques.
• Ability to identify quality meat and recognise spoilage, contamination, damage, or incorrect storage.
• Understanding of food safety, hygiene, HACCP, allergen management, temperature control, traceability, and cross-contamination prevention.
• Safe use of butchery knives, meat-processing equipment, weighing scales, refrigeration equipment, and related tools.
• Attention to detail when following specifications, checking quality, weighing portions, labelling products, and maintaining records.
• Able to organise work, manage time, and work accurately in a busy kitchen, hotel, or food-production environment.
• Understanding of stock rotation, waste control, safe storage, and efficient use of meat products.
• Reliable, punctual, able to work independently, and cooperative with kitchen colleagues; good professional communication skills.
• Able to stand for extended periods and safely handle meat products, equipment, and supplies as needed.
• Comfortable working in chilled areas and handling raw meat while following hygiene and PPE procedures.
• Flexible to work shifts, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and public holidays.

Work setting

• The role supports hotel kitchen and service operations and involves working with raw meat, chilled areas, and butchery equipment.