Ryan Cutler is a Butchery Apprentice at Danestream Farm Shop. He has learnt a range of skills since starting his Apprenticeship, including making sausages, using a wide range of equipment and preparing prime and secondary cuts on different meats.
Ryan says: “I’ve always wanted to go into butchery and am loving the Apprenticeship; it’s a great way to learn. I get instant feedback on what I’m learning and I feel I’m getting the skills for a long-term career. It’s also great to learn and get paid at the same time.
“College is great; the butchery unit is amazing. All the equipment you need is there and the Health and Safety is really good.
“It’s a good feeling when customers ask after me on my day off.”
Danestream Farm Shop
Danestream Farm Shop is run by experienced butcher Paul Brolan who has been trading for over 15 years. He recently recruited Ryan Cutler as a Butchery Apprentice to join his established team.
Paul says: “I think it’s important to get younger people into the trade and keep it growing. Our customer base has responded really well to Ryan. Everyone asks how he’s doing and is interested in his progress. Work reinforces what he learns at College and for us it’s always interesting to see a different way of doing something. It’s great to watch him grow.
“The College helps out with guidelines and regular meetings and I know they’re there at the end of the phone. It’s nice to be able to touch base with an Assessor who’s also in the trade. If you have space in your team for an Apprentice, you should definitely give it a go.”