Master Butcher

SUMMARY:
Group of award-winning Restaurants based in Rosebank is looking for a Master Butcher based at their Central Kitchen.
 
This is a dual role responsible for dry ageing, premium portioning, and cuts that meet fine dining standards for their restaurants as well as developing and producing a range of butchery products for their retail units, marinated cuts, ready-to-braai packs, burger patties, steak boxes, and signature products that customers cannot get at a supermarket.
 
We want someone who sees retail meat not as offcuts and leftovers, but as a product line worth building properly.

POSITION INFO:
Duties:

Full carcass and primal breakdown – beef, lamb, pork, poultry
Run the dry ageing and wet ageing programme: temperature, humidity, rotation, trimming, yield tracking
Portion and prepare restaurant cuts to spec – consistency, weight accuracy, presentation
Develop and produce a retail meat range for stores – marinated cuts, burger patties, braai packs, steak boxes, signature value-added products
Own retail product quality: vacuum sealing, packaging, labelling, shelf-life management, and presentation standards
Maximise yield across both channels – what doesn’t go to the restaurant becomes premium retail, not waste
Manage stock rotation, cold chain, and minimise shrinkage across all protein lines
Train and supervise junior butchers on cutting standards, production consistency, and food safety
Work with management on costing, yield percentages, and new product development
Maintain HACCP compliance, hygiene standards, and equipment care

Requirements:

Qualified master butcher with 10+ years in a production or fine dining environment
Expert knowledge of beef primal cuts, grading, and portioning (SA and international standards)
Proven dry ageing and wet ageing experience
Experience developing retail-ready meat products – marinades, value-added lines, consumer packaging
Understanding of yield management – tracking inputs vs outputs and optimising use of every cut
Strong food safety knowledge – HACCP, cold chain, hygiene compliance
Ability to lead and train a team to a consistent daily standard
Physical fitness – hands-on, on your feet, cold environment
Multi-outlet experience – supplying several venues from one central facility
Charcuterie, biltong, curing, or smoking experience
Experience with ERP or stock systems for ordering and inventory
Understanding of coal-fire and wood-fire cooking and how it affects cut selection

On offer:

Working for one of South Africa’s most respected meat brands to work with
Full ownership of the meat programme across fine dining and retail
Freedom to develop and launch new retail product lines
A purpose-built Central Kitchen facility
Market-related salary with growth as the group expands