Retail Meatcutting
I was watching a show on the Food Network recently, in it Chef Gordon Ramsay was talking about the need for butchers in the UK and how life and culture in places such as the various high-streets that are at the heart of everyday life in these areas would be changed if butcher shops were to leave. Part of the problem, Chef Ramsay pointed out, was that there are a lack of training facilities around the world where someone can receive a good education in this area. It got me thinking about the profession in general, and a quick Google on the subject helped me to realize just how many jobs there are in the world for good butchers, with numerous blog posts and stories about the importance of the profession.
NAIT is fortunate to have it’s own Retail Meatcutting program that provides students with an education in meatcutting concepts like sausage making, preparation and preservation of cured and smoked meats, and meat purchasing. In addition, students learn the retail side of the industry through business courses that provide education in the areas such as inventory control, marketing strategies, and product merchandising. Students in the program can also apply the education they’re getting in the program practically by marketing the items they’ve prepared through NAIT’s Retail Meatcutting store, which is open to the general public during the academic year.