Butcher

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