Opinion: Tackling the UK Butchers' Shortage
World Butchers’ Challenge (WBC) Head Judge, David Lishman; Brands Development Manager, Quality Meat Scotland (Sponsor of Team GB), Gordon Newlands & WBC Team GB Squad Member, Connor Ringrose on attracting the next generation of UK butchers.
David Lishman of Lishman’s of IIkley comments on the ongoing butchers shortage in the UK.
The butchers’ shortage has been covered widely in mainstream media in recent months with factors contributing to the problem cited as difficulty to recruit, Brexit, labour shortages and covid.
We caught up with some of our WBC family of butchers to see what they think about the shortage, what we can do about it and the potential role of the WBC Study Tour within all of this.
Helping young people to reimagine the life of a butcher.
David Lishman of Lishman’s of IIkey (Yorkshire) believes we need to do a better job of engaging the next generation of butchers.
“Butchery is still seen by many as an unclean and solely physical job but, the life of a butcher today is very different...
“It’s cleaner, smarter, more professional and the opportunities for a retail butcher today are vastly different to what they used to be. It’s no longer a job solely for underqualified youths, it requires creativity, craft and skill.”
David says we need to help people reimagine what a life in butchery could look like.
“Butchery is so much more than cutting skills. It’s food production, cookery, customer service, sales, marketing, design. And at the heart of retail butchery - it's showbusiness.”
Discovering a passion for butchery.
An example of someone embracing a newfound passion for the creativity of butchery is Team GB squad member, Connor Ringrose of Ringrose Butchers (Leicestershire).
Previously studying Motorsport Mechanics at college, Connor swapped cars for carvery when covid hit in 2020.
“I was studying at college when covid hit, and everything shut down. I did a week at home and just hated it. I needed to work and so I joined the family butchers' shop which was going nuts.
“We were working 6am until 10pm at night – trying to keep up with the demand from locals. I didn’t have to be anywhere but the shop; I wanted to learn, and I had to learn fast. The result? I fell in love with butchery.”
Echoing the thoughts of David, Connor says there is so much more to butchery than people think.
“I love learning and there is so much to learn when it comes to butchery. Everyone has their own style and flair, which is what I’m discovering for myself.
Reviewing how we skill our butchers.
When it comes to setting up the next generation of butchers for success, Gordon Newlands of Quality Meat Scotland says we need to skill our butchers in more ways than one.
“Our apprenticeships in the UK do a great job in skilling students in butchery but, we need to round this out and help our butchers also thrive in business.”
He says we should look to incorporate a consistent and hybrid model of training in the UK - combining college courses with apprenticeships – giving students the skills to run a successful butchery business.
Gordon believes we could learn from the French where sophisticated butchery schools are the norm.
David agrees and cites the Ecole Nationale of Meat Trades (ENSMV) - a Parisian butchery school which combines virtual reality software, onsite restaurants and kitchens to give students an education not only the craft of meat but creating a successful business too.
The World Butchers’ Challenge Study Tour will include a visit to ENSMV giving industry professionals and competitors a chance to immerse themselves in French butchery to advance their own practise and industries at home.