Do you own a butchers or are you thinking of setting up a butchers and want to know the essential equipment and supplies necessary to run your operations smoothly? We have compiled a list of the top five essential equipment for butchers below.

1. Machinery & Equipment

Retail butchers require an extensive range of meat processing equipment in order to meet the needs of their customers. This range of equipment can include sausage fillers, meat mincers, bandsaws, slicers, burger moulders and kebab or grillstick machines. Stainless steel equipment with easily removable parts are recommended for butchers. In addition, butchers should also have an appropriate range of cookers and ovens, capable of cooking food effectively and efficiently. A final essential for butchers in this category is a vacuum packer. Vacuum packers are perfect for ideal presentation, hygiene bags and for further processing.

2. Quality Knives

Knives should be purchased in colour codes to ensure safe food preparation. Butchers should be equipped with both general utility knives and special purpose knives for specific tasks. The investment in a quality knife pays off through efficiency in the speed of preparation, the precision of cuts and the safety aspect as the blade is not blunt. Knives can be purchased in a variety of descriptions and sizes including 5”, 6”, 10”, 12” blades and various other options. The most popular butcher knives are deboning knives and plastic handled steak knives. A butcher’s knife is the most important tool of their trade. As an all-purpose utensil, butcher’s cleavers can come in 8” and 10” options. Steels and saws are also important tools for butchers.

3. Food Preparation & Presentation

Essential food preparation accessories for butchers include quality butcher blocks and tables, cutting boards, mixing bowls and stacking containers. When purchasing a cutting board, it is essential to choose a cutting board which allows for ease of cleaning in order to prevent cross contamination during the preparation of different foods. Stacking containers should be chosen in order to save space and prevent accidents in the kitchen. When presenting meat products, butchers should stock mean netting, vacuum pouches, shrink bags and kale casing for covering processed meat products. Read a previous post on our packaging faq

4. Butcher Clothing Dress to Impress

Butchers should not overlook the importance of their appearance. Customers often relate food quality to how they perceive your cleanliness and your approach. Traditional striped butcher aprons and branded aprons in a choice of fabrics and poly cotton coats show off the authenticity of a butcher store. The most essential clothing accessories for butchers include aprons, oven gloves, trilbies, coats, protective clothing and disposable clothing. Protective and disposable clothing are essential for safety and hygiene measures in your butcher store.

5. Hygiene Products

When running a butchers, purchasing a selection of cloths, wipes, cleaning liquids and cleaning equipment is a must. From bin bags to floor brushes, everything you have in the home and more should be available in your butchers to ensure maximum hygiene safety. Cloths and wipes can include paper towels, sponge cloths, cleaning cloths, toilet rolls and antibacterial wipes for grimy surfaces. Examples of cleaning liquids include detergent, disinfectant, bleach and hand soap as hand washing is a vital element of food safety.

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