Abattoir & Butchery Skills

Normally we recommend a one day course that covers abattoir and butchery skills.  Our trainers are qualified slaughter men and experienced retail butchers.

We can vary the exact content once we better understand existing knowledge levels and particular areas of interest/focus.

Our courses provide hands on training and give individuals the skills and techniques used within abattoirs and butcheries.  The butchery is for both traditional and continental.  We always focus on minimising waste with uses for everything.

We can cover butchery skills such as:

  • Rolling
  • Seam boning
  • Identification of cuts and uses
  • Cutting charts
  • Identification of primals and what cuts can be used for
  • Quality
  • Traceability
  • Handling post slaughter
  • DFD-PSE
  • Cold shortening

Direct Sales/Retail Skills/Product Presentation

We would allocate up to two days for this and would establish exact requirements during the Training Needs Analysis.  Some aspects of the course may be relevant to abattoir butchers.

We can help you with a variety of areas such as:

  • Understand the meat supply trade.
  • Understand the retail market, including:
    • Popular products.
    • Products that maximise your profits.

  • What you need to know before entering the retail market (including set-up costs & equipment):
    • Retail safe/cook safe.
    • Requirements of FSA/EHO's.

  • Products in detail:
    • Costings.
    • Yields & values.
    • Recipe formulations.
    • QUID's.

  • Legal considerations:
    • Labelling.
    • FSA guidance on red meat labelling.
    • Examples of labelling.

  • A focus on added value:
    • Forming products.
    • Manufacturing hygiene.
    • Recipes and formulations.
    • Curing and smoking.
    • Flavours and tastes.

Client Feedback

"One of the benefits QMS have experienced as a result of the service from Polaris Learning was raising good awareness of the need for quality product within the supply chain.  Engaging with the QMS Levy payers has also resulted in new businesses being set up to help expand the red meat offering to the general public.  QMS operates a tender process and due to the previous training programmes undertaken by Polaris Learning we know the standard of delivery.   They are efficient, reliable, and provide a innovative service from passionate staff."

Kathy Peebles
Quality Meat Scotland (at time of feedback)

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