Butcher facts for kids
A butcher is a person who works with meat. Butchers might slaughter animals, prepare their meat, or sell it. They get meat ready for sale in stores or to other businesses. You can find butchers working in supermarkets, grocery stores, special butcher shops, or even slaughterhouses. Some butchers also work for themselves.
Being a butcher is a very old job. It might even go back to when people first started raising livestock. In England, butchers formed groups called guilds as early as 1272. Today, many places offer special training and certificates for butchers. Some even require a three-year apprenticeship to become a master butcher.
What Does a Butcher Do?
Butchery is a traditional job. In modern factories, butchers often work on a production line. Each butcher does one or two specific steps over and over. These steps can include making the animal unconscious, removing blood, taking off the skin, or cleaning the meat. They also remove organs and split the animal in half.
After the meat is chilled, butchers start preparing it. This first step is called primary butchery. They choose the best parts of the animal. Then, they separate these large sections, called primal cuts. They trim these cuts and get them ready for the next steps or for sale. They also store the meat properly.
The next step is secondary butchery. This involves taking the large primal cuts and removing bones and extra fat. This prepares the meat for customers to buy. In the past, both primary and secondary butchery happened in the same place. But now, with better ways to keep meat fresh and cheaper transport, these steps are often done in different locations. In some parts of the world, butchers still do all these jobs themselves. This is especially true where refrigeration is not common.
What is a Butcher Shop?
Many butchers sell their products in their own special stores. These are often called a butcher shop or a butchery. Butchers in these shops usually do secondary butchery. They prepare fresh cuts of meat for customers. These shops might also sell other things. This could include hot food made from their own meat, cooking supplies, baked goods, or other groceries.
Butcher shops can offer a wider range of meats. They might have different types of animals, special cuts, or higher quality meat. Some shops even focus on meat from a particular culture or country. A "meat deli" is a type of butcher shop that also has a delicatessen, selling sliced meats and cheeses.
In countries like the United States and Canada, butcher shops are becoming less common. This is because supermarkets are very popular. Supermarkets hire butchers for secondary butchery. However, even this job is changing. Many supermarkets now get "case-ready" meat. This means the meat is already packaged for sale when it arrives from the factory.
Images for kids
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A butcher performing his trade in a traditional manner from A butcher's, Tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis (14th century)
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Leg changing system for slaughterhouses industry
See also
In Spanish: Carnicería para niños
