Butchers - retail and wholesale

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Cut, trim, bone and otherwise prepare custom and/or standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale at self-serve counters or according to customers' orders

• Prepare meat for special displays and/or delivery

• Shape, lace and tie roasts and other meats, poultry or fish and may wrap or package fresh or frozen or prepared meats

• Manage inventory, keep records of sales and determine amount, product line and freshness of products according to company and customer requirements

• Adhere to Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and food safety standards

• Ensure food storage conditions are adequate

• May supervise, direct work or train other butchers, meat cutters or fishmongers.

• Completion of secondary school may be required.

• Completion of a college or other butchery training program may be required.

• Several years of on-the-job training in food stores is usually required for retail butchers.

• Progression from industrial butcher and industrial meat cutter positions to these higher skilled jobs is possible with experience and specialized on the job training in supermarkets, grocery stores, fish stores, butcher shops.