Butcher CV Example
Showcase your meat cutting expertise, food hygiene standards, and ability to provide knowledgeable service to customers.
Recommended template: CreativePro
Key Skills to Include
Quick Tips
- Include your food hygiene certification and any butchery qualifications.
- Mention your knowledge of different meat cuts, preparation methods, and cooking advice.
- Highlight your ability to manage stock, minimise waste, and maintain display standards.
- Detail your experience with both counter service and wholesale preparation.
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Upgrade to ProHow to Write Your Butcher CV
A butcher CV should demonstrate your craft skills, food safety knowledge, and ability to provide knowledgeable customer service. Whether you work in a traditional independent shop or a supermarket meat department, employers want to see that you can prepare quality products, maintain hygiene standards, and engage with customers about their meat purchases. Your CV should balance technical butchery skills with evidence of commercial awareness and customer interaction.
CV Structure
Use a reverse-chronological format with a profile highlighting your experience level and butchery specialisms. For each role, describe the shop type and product range. Include responsibilities covering preparation, counter service, and stock management. Add achievements that demonstrate your impact on sales, waste reduction, or customer satisfaction. Keep to one or two pages.
CV Format
Choose a clean, professional template. Butchery employers value substance over style in a CV. Ensure your food hygiene certification and any butchery qualifications are prominently displayed. Use bullet points and keep descriptions practical and direct.
CV Profile Examples
Experienced Butcher
Skilled and customer-focused butcher with eight years of experience in independent butcher shops and supermarket meat counters across the West Midlands. Expert in breaking down carcasses, preparing retail cuts, and creating value-added products including sausages, burgers, and marinated joints. Holds a Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate and a City & Guilds Diploma in Meat and Poultry Processing.
Supermarket Butcher
Efficient and quality-conscious butcher with five years of experience in a high-volume supermarket meat department, processing an average of 300kg of product daily. Skilled in portioning, packing, and labelling meat products in compliance with food safety and traceability regulations. Experienced in managing stock rotation, reducing waste, and maintaining attractive counter displays.
Apprentice Butcher
Dedicated apprentice butcher with two years of hands-on training at a traditional family-run butcher shop, developing skills in carcass breakdown, knife technique, and customer service. Currently working towards a Level 2 Butchery Apprenticeship with strong practical assessments. Passionate about quality meat and eager to continue developing craft butchery skills.
Write a three-sentence profile stating your experience level, the types of butchery environments you have worked in, and your key craft skills. Mention food hygiene certification and any specialist product expertise.
Key Skills for Your Butcher CV
Meat Cutting & Preparation
Breaking down carcasses and preparing retail cuts, joints, and value-added products using professional techniques.
Food Hygiene
Maintaining strict hygiene standards including temperature control, cleaning schedules, and cross-contamination prevention.
Product Knowledge
Understanding different meat cuts, their characteristics, and providing cooking advice to retail customers.
Customer Service
Serving customers at the counter with expertise, recommending products and quantities for their needs.
Stock Management
Managing meat stock through accurate ordering, rotation, and waste tracking to optimise freshness and margins.
Display Presentation
Creating and maintaining attractive meat counter displays that showcase products and encourage customer purchases.
Health & Safety
Following workplace health and safety procedures including knife safety, manual handling, and equipment operation.
Knife Skills
Using butchery knives, steels, and saws safely and efficiently for carcass breakdown and retail preparation.
Work Experience Examples
For each role, describe the shop type and the volume of product processed. Focus on carcass breakdown, product preparation, counter service, and stock management. Include achievements such as waste reduction percentages, new product development, or customer base growth.
Butcher
Harrison & Sons Family Butchers, Wolverhampton
Prepared and sold a full range of meat products in a traditional high-street butcher shop serving both retail and wholesale customers.
Responsibilities
- Broke down beef, lamb, and pork carcasses into primal and retail cuts using professional knife and saw techniques.
- Prepared value-added products including sausages, burgers, kebabs, and marinated joints for the retail counter.
- Served customers at the counter, advising on cuts, cooking methods, and quantities for different occasions.
- Managed stock rotation, temperature monitoring, and traceability records in compliance with food safety legislation.
- Maintained the counter display throughout the day, replenishing products and adjusting presentation for peak trading periods.
Achievements
- Developed a range of premium sausage flavours that became the shop's best-selling product line, increasing sausage revenue by 35%.
- Reduced weekly meat waste from 4.2% to 2.8% through improved ordering accuracy and creative use of trim in value-added products.
- Built strong relationships with wholesale customers including three local restaurants and a catering company.
Meat Counter Assistant
Morrisons, Dudley
Worked in the meat department of a large supermarket, supporting counter service and back-of-house meat preparation.
Responsibilities
- Prepared retail-ready meat products including portioning steaks, trimming joints, and packing for self-service display.
- Served customers at the fresh meat counter, taking orders, slicing products, and providing cooking recommendations.
- Completed daily temperature checks and cleaning schedules in compliance with the store's food safety management system.
- Received and checked meat deliveries, verifying temperatures, weights, and traceability documentation.
Achievements
- Achieved a 100% compliance rate during two unannounced food safety audits within the meat department.
- Trained two new counter assistants on portioning techniques and customer service standards.
Education & Qualifications
List your butchery qualifications first — apprenticeship, City & Guilds, or NVQ. Follow with your food hygiene certificate and any additional training in knife skills or meat science. Include GCSEs or equivalent qualifications.
Level 2 Butchery Apprenticeship
Structured on-the-job training programme covering carcass breakdown, retail preparation, and food safety.
City & Guilds Diploma in Meat and Poultry Processing
Vocational qualification covering meat science, processing techniques, and quality management.
Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate
Advanced food safety qualification for supervisory roles in meat handling and preparation.
Knife Skills Training Certificate
Formal training in safe and efficient knife use for professional meat cutting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifications do I need to be a butcher?
How do I show my butchery skills on a CV?
Is customer service important for a butcher CV?
How do I reduce waste as a butcher?
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