Women to watch out for in Butchery

Naomi Nunn, Oakes Farm Shop, Balsall Common

Naomi is living proof that not only is butchery a career for anyone, regardless of gender, but also that apprenticeships are not just for school-leavers.

Initially, Naomi, who’s twenty-nine, originally worked in catering for Oakes Farm Shop, where she was given the opportunity to begin a butchery apprenticeship.

Here, she excelled in her apprenticeship, not only being awarded Apprentice of the Month by her training provider, MEAT Ipswich, but also recently achieving a Pass with Excellence in her butchery end-point assessment.

Describing the butchery apprenticeship as ‘life-changing’, Naomi acknowledges that women are under-represented in butchery. If anything, she says, this just drove her to succeed.

At Oakes Farm Shop Butchers Naomi now gets to use all the skills learnt during her apprenticeship and is proud to be part of the butchery team. Breaking down a carcass into the end products is the part of the job she finds most satisfying. It involves using a multitude of skills and also,

“when a customer comes back and tells you how much they enjoyed the meat you prepared, it’s a proud moment for me, that my work puts a smile on customers faces.”

Naomi’s top tips for EPA success

• Practise as much as you can

• Talk to more experienced butchers to improve your butchery general knowledge

• Watch other butchers for tips you can use to improve your own technique

• Be eager to learn in your apprenticeship and challenge yourself!