Gourmet butcher

As a gourmet butcher you lift butchery to a higher level. You work with meat and pâtés as genuine craft — you butcher season salt smoke and process raw materials into delicious high-quality products. When you are done you are a skilled butcher focused on flavour quality and specialised craft at the service counter.

You receive whole or half animals and cut them into the cuts customers request. You make sausages, cold cuts, meatballs, and marinades from scratch and experiment with spices, salting, and smoking. You often work at a service counter where you guide customers about cuts and preparation and emphasize that both taste and appearance are top-notch. Hygiene and freshness are a central part of the work all day long.

• 01You learn to butcher meat and make cuts so nothing goes to waste.
• 02You become good at making sausages, spreads and specialities from scratch.
• 03You work with seasoning, salting and smoking so the flavour is perfect.
• 04You learn to advise customers about meat, cuts, and preparation at the service counter.
• 05You get on top of food hygiene and quality, so the products are safe and fresh.
• 06You get a craft where taste and quality is what it's all about.

You typically start with a basic course at a vocational school and then need an apprenticeship with a butcher or specialty shop. The education alternates between school stays and practice so you learn both technique and customer contact in reality. You get paid during training and learn the craft alongside experienced butchers.

With the journeyman's certificate you can work in butcher shops delicatessen departments restaurants and food companies. You can specialise in specific products become production foreman or open your own business. If you want to go further the journeyman's certificate can be a springboard to further education in food quality or management.

“The best meat deserves someone who knows each cut — that is the gourmet butcher's pride.”