Apprentice Butcher
THOMPSONS FOOD SERVICES LIMITED
Great Yarmouth (NR30 3PR)
Closes in 19 days (Saturday 17 October 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 23 September 2026
Contents
Summary
As an Apprentice at Thompsons Food Service Ltd you will be given training in all relevant Butchery skills. You will complete the process with qualifications such as: Level 2 Health & Safety, Knife Skills, First Aid Competency, and Level 2 Food Safety Awards.
- Wage
-
Competitive
Competitive wage offered
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
£8.50 per hour.
- Training course
- Butcher (level 2)
- Hours
-
9am - 5pm every weekday.
Hours can be adjusted to suit you. The site is open to staff from 4am until 11pm, 6 days a week.
Weekend shifts are available.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Sunday 18 October 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
Learning knife skills – we are an operating Butchers;
- You will be cutting meatFull carcass breakdown – separate cuts quickly and efficiently
- Meat cutting to specification – We offer a variety of products that need to be prepared to customer requirements
- Counter display – we are open for retail sale; a stocked, tidy display is maintained
- Maintaining food hygiene – we are FSA approved; our hygiene standards are high and strictly controlled
Where you'll work
South Denes Road
Great Yarmouth
NR30 3PR
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
MEAT EAST ANGLIA TRADES (IPSWICH) LIMITED
Training course
Butcher (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
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
All training takes place at the workplace.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade C/4)
- Maths (grade C/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
- Number skills
- Team working
- Hard Working
Other requirements
The position involves working with others in the butchery (and in the larger business) as a team, ensuring everything we do is the best that we can. The position may also include a requirement to spend time within large chillers and freezers – appropriate PPE will always be available.
About this employer
Thompson Food Service Ltd. is a Cash & Carry and independent wholesale company, with over 60 years’ experience in supplying the catering industry. We pride ourselves on the service we provide, supplying many catering establishments, including; Restaurants, Hotels, Attractions, Education Centres, NHS, Offshore, Nursing Homes, and Holiday Parks.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
Upon completion of the apprenticeship a full-time position in the Butchery will be offered.
This could lead to progression to Head of Butchery in the future.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
MEAT EAST ANGLIA TRADES (IPSWICH) LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000047977.
Apply now
Closes in 19 days (Saturday 17 October 2026 at 11:59pm)