Butcher apprentice

Summary

Great Cornish Good Store are offering an exciting opportunity to join their team as a Level 2 Butcher Apprentice. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain insight into the food industry and learn and develop your knowledge and skills.

Wage

£16,640 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Employee Profit Share is available to employees over 18 years of age once they meet the length of service criteria.

Training course

Butcher (level 2)

Hours

You will be working on a rota basis, shift times will vary between 07:30 - 16:00, 08:30 - 17:00 and 08:30 - 16:30.

40 hours a week

Start date

Monday 5 October 2026

Duration

1 year 3 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

You will be working for a medium-sized employee-owned Cornish Food Retailer as part of our Butchery Team. We are extremely proud of our butchery counter; we take care to source only the best local produce. We have a strong reputation for high quality and exceptional customer service.  In the store, we also have a kitchen that produces food from scratch for the in-store café and deli counter, which also uses ingredients supplied by the butchery counter.

The job role will include the following key responsibilities:

• Assist in preparing and presenting fresh meat to the highest standards
• Learn traditional and modern butchery techniques under expert guidance following a daily prep list and assisting the team
• Provide excellent customer service, ensuring every customer feels valued and informed
• Maintain a clean, safe, and hygienic working environment in line with food safety standards
• Support the team with stock rotation, merchandising, cleaning, waste management and daily operational tasks

Where you'll work

TREGURRA PARK
NEWQUAY ROAD
TRURO
CORNWALL
TR1 1RH

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

CORNWALL 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

• You will be working towards a Level 2 Butcher Apprenticeship standard
• You will also receive Food Safety and Allergen training
• You will receive on and off-the-job training and support from an Apprenticeship Advisor

You will be required to attend Duchy Stoke Climsland on a weekly basis as part of the apprenticeship training.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 3)
• Maths (grade 3)

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4)
• Maths (grade 4)

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
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Number skills
• Team working
• Initiative
• Non judgemental
• Patience

Other requirements

• Our store and offices are located right beside Waitrose at Tregurra Park on the eastern side of Truro. There is free car parking at the Great Cornish Food Store.

What we're looking for:

• A positive, proactive attitude and eagerness to learn.
• Strong communication skills and a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences.
• Ability to work as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to maintaining high standards of quality and safety.
• Be prepared for a combination of work-based and classroom learning.