The butchery trade today — job opportunities and future
Where do gourmet butchers work, what does the market demand, and where is the trade heading?
The gourmet butcher is the specialist who can do more than cut meat. You process, season, smoke and make specialities, and you stand close to the customer at the counter. That opens up a wide range of workplaces, and it is worth knowing the options before you choose your direction.
§Where does a gourmet butcher work?
Most think of the local butcher shop and it is still a classic place to work. But the trade reaches further. You can work in the delicatessen and butcher section in a supermarket work in food production with wholesalers or in restaurants and catering where there is need for someone who knows meat thoroughly.
- 01Butcher shops and speciality shops with service counter.
- 02Delicatessen and butcher departments in supermarkets.
- 03Food production and processing companies.
- 04Restaurants, catering and large kitchens.
- 05Own business if you dare the leap as a self-employed.
§Demand for skilled workers.
There has been a shortage of skilled workers in several crafts for many years and the slaughter trade is one of the trades where capable hands are in demand. When you have a journeyman's certificate you have concrete skills employers know and seek — and which cannot easily be automated away in the specialized end of the trade.
§Trends that shape the profession
More consumers care about quality origin and animal welfare and want to know where the meat comes from. At the same time there is growing interest in utilizing the whole animal and avoiding food waste. This plays directly into the gourmet butcher's strengths: processing storytelling about the raw material and making something special out of the cuts others overlook.
§The future of the trade
No one can predict everything but it is a good rule that the more specialised and customer-oriented your expertise the better you stand. Plant-based products and new eating habits are changing the market but there will continue to be demand for quality meat and for a professional who can advise and process. Want to be at the forefront then cultivate what makes the gourmet butcher unique: the craft and the quality.
“When the customer wants to know where the meat comes from and how it should be prepared—then it's you they ask.”