Growing interest in food provenance sees butchery on the rise again

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, the number of independent butcher’s shops in the UK stood at 15,000 in 1990, by 2010 it had reduced to 6,380 and around five years ago it stood at 5,830.

The end of the local butcher was much reported, due in the main to the rise of the supermarket, but recent years has seen a growth in farm shops, with fantastic fresh meat displays in the likes of Keelham Farm Shop in Skipton, Cannon Hall near Barnsley, and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Fodder, alongside many other fine examples.

This new phenomenon allied with a renaissance currently under way in buying local once again, on the basis of carbon footprint and traceability, and now accentuated further by recent lockdown regulations, has brought the butchery trade back in focus as a career opportunity.

One man who has been at the forefront of the farm shop butchery trade and began his career at Rillington, near Malton, 30 years ago is now responsible for training those coming into the sector.

Paul Nicholson has impressive credentials. He learned his trade through renowned butcher, Frank Turner, and was head butcher at Castle Howard Farm Shop and Fodder. Paul now runs butchery apprenticeships at Bishop Burton College.

“Fodder and Castle Howard were the most fantastic experiences. It’s not often you get the opportunity to open one new butchery enterprise, let alone two. I was head butcher at the opening of both.

“The only reason I left Fodder after six years was the travel time. I grew up in Wharram-le-Street. My dad, Robin Nicholson, was farm manager on Birdsall Estate and I’ve lived around Malton all my life.

“When I left Fodder I’d thought where do I go now? How could I better what I had already achieved? It’s then I began wondering whether I could get into education. Initially, I went into freelance butchering working for another farm shop and also for Glaves Butchers in Brompton-by-Sawdon.

“My break came when I was asked to speak to a group of farmers who were taking part in a competition being held at Bishop Burton College. I talked about the butchery trade and how there were no young people taking up the profession, in fact there was no-one coming in.”

An approach from a lady connected with Bishop Burton College through Riseholme College in Lincolnshire led Paul to take a level 3 teaching qualification allowing him to teach adults of 16-plus.

He completed his qualification in six months thanks to his wife, Stephanie, who used her business acumen and IT skills to set him on his way. He has since passed his assessor’s qualification and now has 50-60 apprentices under his wing.

“I remember my primary school teacher telling my parents, ‘he’s not the brightest, but he’ll get on in life’. I now school the apprentices on theory at the college and visit their workplaces to conduct the practical sessions.

“The skills required depend on where the apprentice is working. There are two main sectors, the largest of which is the process sector where meat is being cut and packaged for supermarkets and the catering trade.

“We have many of the major meat processors who now put their new butchers on the apprenticeship course. The other is the independent butchers, which is also growing.

The independent butcher apprentices will look more closely at such as sausage making and other areas where they can add value. The apprenticeships normally take between 15-18 months.

“Covid-19 and Brexit have both had an impact on the number of new butchers now needed in the industry as many from Eastern Europe, who are brilliant butchers and who would have worked mainly in the factory butchery trade have already started going back to their home countries.”

Paul has been running butchery apprenticeship courses for four years. He has seen how the dearth of young butchers coming into the independent sector has begun to change.

“Consumers now want to buy local again, they want to know where their food is coming from and they are interested. That started happening after BSE, foot and mouth disease and particularly the horsemeat scandal.

“One of the things I miss about teaching is not having that banter you get with customers. That’s something you can’t teach the apprentices as it comes with each person’s character, but you can explain the value of it.

“I was very fortunate to have Frank (Turner) as my boss and mentor. Frank taught me everything. He took me on full-time at 15 years old.

I had been running a smallholding with other farmers’ sons while at Norton School and that brought about the contact with Frank who had asked whether I would like to look after sheep for him. It didn’t quite work out that way, but it worked well for me. I was taking home a good wage at 14 years old. I worked with him for 14 years until he retired.

“I’d always wanted to go into farming, particularly with livestock, and had thought about becoming a shepherd. While working for Frank I lambed 350 Mule X Suffolk ewes each spring for David Butterworth, a neighbouring farmer, from being 16-20.

“Frank would take me with him to Malton livestock market where he bought his stock. It was through him I learned about selecting on conformation of an animal and to tell what the meat would be like by looking at the livestock market floor. If you see what cattle excrete you know whether they have been grass fed or grain fed.”

Butchery has brought about a tremendous career for Paul and he is keen to bring on the next generation whether their role is with a major meat processor, high street butcher or farm shop/village independent butcher.

“The average age of a butcher is still around 56 years old. We need more new people. I look forward to helping all those who are interested.”