College Certificate in Professional Butchery Techniques
London, Canada
DURATION
30 Weeks
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
CAD 17,918 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for international costs | Canadian costs: CAD 5,829.78
Introduction
Meat is a major industry in Canada and this program will give you all the knowledge needed to become an expert butcher and hit the ground running in your career. This program is a perfect fit for both entry-level students and chefs looking to incorporate farm-to-table practices. Choose a truly cutting-edge career.
Your Learning Experience
Meat cutting is a unique, specialized, and highly in-demand trade that offers plenty of job opportunities upon graduating. Jobs include retail or wholesale butchers, industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers, ham cutters, meat trimmers, and more!
This one-year Ontario College Certificate program is located at Fanshawe’s London Downtown Campus in a state-of-the-art facility using the latest equipment. You’ll build skills in meat processing, product packaging, professional safety standards, and customer service, taught by faculty with years of experience in the art of butchery. More than half of class time is spent in hands-on learning labs, and you’ll apply what you learn by operating a full-service retail meat outlet on campus.
Professional Butchery Techniques provides students with the comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge to be successful in the growing meat processing industry. Throughout the program, students will engage with industry professionals to learn the latest techniques for meat cutting, with a focus on specific skills in trimming, deboning, carcass breakdown, and meat processing. Additionally, students will learn how to package and market meat products for resale.
Upon graduation, students may choose to transition into the Retail Meat Cutter 245R Apprenticeship or to earn dual certificates by transitioning into the Culinary Skills program.
CIP Code: 12.0506
Admissions
Program Outcome
- Process the beef front quarter, beef hindquarter, a side of pork, a carcass of lamb, a side of veal, and various types of poultry into wholesale and retail cuts;
- Practice procedures used to control foodborne illness in compliance with recognized industry standards, food service laws, and government regulations;
- Provide quality customer service by responding to inquiries about basic cooking, food safety, and carving techniques and identifying health and safety issues;
- Determine markups and markdowns and profit and loss related to the retail meat-cutting industry;
- Select the appropriate packaging material for different products to ensure safety and scalability;
- Select parts of the animal carcass for retail cuts of meat based on bone, fat, and muscle structures, and dispose of abnormalities in a safe and sterile manner;
- Demonstrate safe working practices and the safe set up, breakdown, operation, and maintenance of tools and equipment in accordance with health and safety regulations;
- Fabricate fresh sausage using industry-specific equipment;
- Develop value-added products, such as spice rubs, marinades, and stuffed and/or breaded meat products to support sales in a retail operation;
- Identify and label meat products to comply with Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulations;
- Receive and store meat products in a safe and orderly manner to meet industry standards for quality and safety;
Curriculum
Level 1
- Safe Work Practices
- Reason and Writing 1-Tourism/Hospitality
- Nomenclature and Labelling
- Meat Cutting Practicum 1
- Meat Cutting Practicum 2
- Meat Cookery
- Retail Meat Operations 1
Level 2
- Meat Science
- Math for Hospitality
- Marketing and Industry Trends
- Business Foundations
- Meat Cutting Practicum 3
- Meat Processing Practicum
- Retail Meat Operations 2
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Meat cutting is a unique, specialized, and highly in-demand trade that offers plenty of job opportunities upon graduating from this one-year program. Jobs include retail or wholesale butchers, industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers, ham cutters, meat trimmers, and more.
Here are some examples of career opportunities for graduates of Fanshawe’s Professional Butchery Techniques program:
Industrial Butcher
Working well with others you will have excellent hand-eye coordination and decision-making skills to excel in this position.
Meat Cutter
From Cutting, trimming, and preparing standard cuts of meat to training other meat cutters, the possibilities are endless.
Meat Manager
Create a coaching and development culture for all employees who embrace a passion for meat.