Local butcher resurgence prompts call for staff, apprenctice support

When meat started disappearing from supermarket shelves during the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers turned to the butcher.

The Australian Meat Industry Council says the trend has persisted, but some butchers say they are finding it tough to find and retain qualified staff and apprentices.

Rhys O’Donohue from Moonta Quality Meats on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula saw a big increase in customers during the pandemic.

“In those lockdown times, supermarkets didn’t have any meat,” he said.

Mr O’Donohue says the community support for his business has endured.

“People come to a country butcher shop and know they are getting local meat coming from a local farmer … and they feel like they are supporting a local business,” he said.

Glenn and Nicole Buddle own Cummins Meat Store on the Eyre Peninsula and they say trade never slows.

“I think [it’s] having local produce and supporting local farmers and then getting the support back from the community,” Ms Buddle said.

Australian Meat Industry Council acting chief executive Tim Ryan said the pandemic completely changed the habits of meat consumers.

“[The] far greater diversity of meal solutions and the advice they can get … is what differentiates your local butcher from the majors,” he said.

‘Very big challenge’

The increase in trade is welcome, but many butchers are finding it difficult to recruit and retain skilled staff as they try to keep up with demand.

“Although foot traffic has been pretty solid, the ability to keep stores staffed is a major challenge, and particularly getting skilled labour,” Mr Ryan said.

He said staffing was being reported as a problem across the meat processing industry, but unlike major players, small operators did not have the option of bringing in migrant labour.

“[Staffing] relies on those businesses to work with their local community to find the young talent, work through their local schools, and engage in their community to find those people to bring up through their business,” Mr Ryan said.

Apprenticeships are a crucial way to develop the new generations of skilled workers, but Mr O’Donohue says only one of the 15 apprentices who signed up finished the placement.

He believed competition from more attractive trades, and cost-of-living pressures, were having an impact.

“They’re only being paid somewhere between $14 and $15 an hour as a first-year apprentice,” he said.

“It’s a very big challenge for young people.”

Against the grain

Cummins Meat Store, however, is turning away prospective workers looking to do a school-based apprenticeship.

“That gutted me, because this is an industry that is screaming out to have people step up and do this role, but this shop’s only so big,” Ms Buddle said.

“I just hope that the kids keep coming back in, because from what I’m hearing butcher shops are screaming out for workers, so if you’ve got your certificate and get your trade, get your knife skills and everything behind you, you pick up a job no problems.”

Year 11 student Isaac Laherstorfer is doing a school-based apprenticeship at Cummins Meat Store.

“Even before I started here, I wanted my first job to be as a butcher,” he said.

Likewise, Nick Koch is in his third year of an apprenticeship and sees a strong future in the trade.

Mr O’Donohue believes more direct support to apprentices would help, including a top-up to wages after completing each stage of the apprenticeship.

“It’s an incentive to get to that next step … so they continue to push on and have a reason to be an apprentice,” he said.

At the Australian Meat Industry Council, Tim Ryan believes it’s about promoting the creative potential of the industry.

“Young butchers [are] telling their stories online and showing off their produce and creative skills,” he said.