Butcher

Description:

Department: Production
Reports to: Head Butcher / Plant Manager
Contract: Seasonal Fixed-Term Contract – 5 months
Hours: 42.5 hours per week, 6am–2pm
Additional hours and weekend working may be required during peak periods

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Butcher to join our production team on a seasonal basis. You’ll be responsible for skilled butchery and processing, ensuring products are prepared safely, efficiently and consistently to specification.

The role is hands-on and fast-paced, with a strong focus on quality, food safety, yield, hygiene and traceability.

Key Responsibilities

* Break down, debone, trim, portion and prepare venison and other approved products to specification.

* Safely use knives, saws, mincers, dicers, vacuum packing equipment and other authorised machinery.

* Maintain consistent cuts, weights and presentation while maximising yield and minimising waste.

* Identify and report defects, contamination or products outside specification.

* Follow food safety procedures, HACCP controls, work instructions and product specifications.

* Maintain accurate labelling, batch control, date coding and product traceability.

* Follow temperature, allergen, segregation and other legal and customer requirements.

* Maintain excellent personal hygiene and use all required PPE.

* Clean and sanitise equipment and work areas in line with hygiene procedures.

* Complete equipment checks and report faults or damage promptly.

* Follow all knife, manual handling, chemical, cold-store and workplace safety procedures.

* Support packing, labelling, weighing, stock movement, order preparation, cleaning and other production duties as required.

* Work collaboratively with production, quality, hygiene, intake, packing and despatch teams.

* Meet agreed productivity, yield and quality standards without compromising food safety.

* Complete production, traceability, waste and cleaning records accurately.

About You

* Previous commercial butchery, meat processing or carcass breakdown experience is essential.

* Confident and competent with knife handling, deboning, trimming and portion control.

* Good understanding of food hygiene, cross-contamination prevention and temperature control.

* Able to work accurately at pace and follow written and verbal instructions.

* Basic numeracy and literacy skills for weights, labels, specifications and production records.

* Reliable, punctual, flexible and comfortable working additional hours during peak periods.

* Physically capable of prolonged standing, repetitive work and safe product handling.

* A positive team player who takes pride in quality and workmanship.

Specialist training may be provided to a suitably skilled butcher.

Working Environment

The role is based primarily in chilled processing areas and may include freezer, intake and wet-cleaning environments. The position involves prolonged standing, repetitive movements, knife use and handling product within safe manual-handling limits.

Key Performance Measures

* Achieving agreed productivity and yield targets.

* Consistently meeting product specification, weight and presentation standards.

* Maintaining full compliance with food safety, HACCP and traceability requirements.

* Maintaining high standards of hygiene, cleaning and equipment care.

* Reliable attendance and punctuality.

* Positive contribution to team performance and daily production targets