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Butcher / Charcutier
Expertly cuts, prepares, and cures meats — a skilled trade combining food science and craftsmanship.
Did you know?
Japan grades wagyu meat quality from 1 to 5 and yield from A to C, so 'A5' is the top possible grade.
How subjects help
- Food Science: Cure and dry hams and sausages with salt so they keep safely for months.
- Biology: Know an animal's muscles well enough to cut tender steaks from one part and stewing meat from another.
- Business Studies: Use every part of the animal and price each cut so nothing is wasted and the shop profits.
- Health Sciences: Keep knives, boards and fridges clean and cold so germs like salmonella can't spread.
A famous name
Dario Cecchini: Eighth-generation Italian butcher famous for his shop in Panzano, Tuscany.
Try it yourself: Organise a fridge the safe way
- Draw a fridge with three shelves and a drawer.
- Raw meat and fish always go on the bottom shelf, wrapped, so juices can't drip onto other food. Draw them there.
- Ready-to-eat food, like cooked leftovers and cheese, goes higher up. Fruit and vegetables go in the drawer.
- Compare with your fridge at home, with an adult. Is anything in a risky place?
Butchers and chefs follow strict food-safety rules on storage and cleanliness every day, so the food they sell or serve is safe to eat.
Also try: Run a fair test with sugar.
Known for it in
France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Germany