Summary
This Level 2 Butcher Apprenticeship offers hands-on experience in retail and food production. You’ll learn customer service, food safety and butchery skills in a busy shop. Supported by your employer and college, you’ll gain a recognised qualification and build a strong foundation for a career.
Wage
£14,560 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Training course
Butcher (level 2)
Hours
Typically 8.00am - 4.00pm with a 1-hour unpaid break (7 hours per day), worked over 5 days including Saturdays.
35 hours a week
Start date
Monday 29 June 2026
Duration
1 year 6 months
Positions available
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
* Serve customers and provide friendly, professional service
* Assist with preparing and displaying products
* Learn basic butchery and knife skills (with training)
* Handle stock, deliveries, and product rotation
* Maintain cleanliness and food hygiene standards
* Use tills and handle transactions
* Develop product knowledge to advise customers
* Support the day-to-day running of the shop
Where you'll work
6 MARKET PLACE EAST
RIPON
HG4 1BP
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
BISHOP BURTON COLLEGE
Training course
Butcher (level 2)
What you'll learn
Course contents
* Comply with regulations and legislation relevant to their role and business.
* Maintains and sharpens knives and cutting equipment.
* Manual handling of carcases or primals through the manufacturing or butchery process.
* Adhere to the organisational policies and standard operating procedures.
* Maintain the meat product to the given customer specification and food safety compliance and traceability procedures in the meat supply chain.
* Support colleagues in delivering the daily workplace requirements.
* Use technology and applications to support production, sales, and customer service.
* Contribute to continuous improvement activities which focus on improving sustainability within the business.
* Communicate with customers and stakeholders to meet their requirements.
* Process and dispose of waste material.
* Uses knives and cutting equipment to undertake a range of primary and secondary butchery skills.
* Serve customers in line with brand standards.
* Advise customers on the use by dates, storage, preparation, and cooking of meat products.
* Prepare, produce, and display meat products such as joints, portions, sausages, burgers, value-added products and offer alternative products when required.
* Plan and prepare for seasonal supply and demand of meat products in the merchandising and promotion of seasonal foods.
* Provide provenance and heritage product information.
* Set up and close meat counter displays.
* Balance the customers’ needs with additional linked products and services such as marinades, and encourage customer loyalty and repeat business.
* Produce meat to the specific volume, size, and weight to meet the needs of stakeholders.
* Maximise the saleable yield for the business relating to carcases or primals.
* Contribute to efficiencies to support the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the business through working to agreed specifications for their role.
* Adhere to customer specifications and contracts.
* Contribute to foreign body control and metal detection.
* Meet key performance indicators within meat processing.
* Comply with regulations and legislation relevant to their role and business.
* Maintains and sharpens knives and cutting equipment.
* Manual handling of carcases or primals through the manufacturing or butchery process.
* Adhere to the organisational policies and standard operating procedures.
* Maintain the meat product to the given customer specification and food safety compliance and traceability procedures in the meat supply chain.
* Support colleagues in delivering the daily workplace requirements.
* Use technology and applications to support production, sales, and customer service.
* Contribute to continuous improvement activities which focus on improving sustainability within the business.
* Communicate with customers and stakeholders to meet their requirements.
* Process and dispose of waste material.
* Uses knives and cutting equipment to undertake a range of primary and secondary butchery skills.
Training schedule
* The apprentice will attend college one day per week as part of their off-the-job training
* This day will be dedicated to developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for the apprenticeship standard through a combination of classroom-based learning, practical activities, and tutor-led sessions
* The remaining four days will be spent in the workplace, where the apprentice will apply their learning and gain practical experience relevant to their role
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
* English (grade 3/D)
* Maths (grade 3/D)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
* Communication skills
* Attention to detail
* Customer care skills
* Presentation skills
* Number skills
* Logical
* Initiative
* Physical fitness
Other requirements
✔️ This is a hands-on, practical role – you’ll be on your feet for most of the day
✔️ You will be working with raw meat and animal products daily
✔️ The role can be physically demanding, including lifting, carrying, and standing for long periods
✔️ Early starts, weekend work, and busy periods (e.g. holidays) are part of the job
✔️ You will be working in chilled environments to maintain food safety standards
✔️ High standards of hygiene, cleanliness, and attention to detail are essential
✔️ You must be comfortable using sharp tools and equipment (full training provided)
✔️ Customer-facing role – confidence and communication are key
✔️ Handling payments and using tills – good basic numeracy and money-handling skills are important
✔️ Understanding weights and measures, including basic calculations and conversions