Insights from Sam Canning - The Art of Butchery
Butchery is an interesting trade. On the surface, from an outsider's perspective, it’s simply a job of chopping meat, when really, it goes much deeper than that. Which is just as well, because, without these many levels of interest, I doubt that I would have found professional satisfaction from the trade. I’ve always been a creative, people-person who enjoyed working with my hands. I spent my childhood building things out of wood in my dad’s garage and always found pleasure in being a distraction in the classroom, entertaining other kids.
It wasn’t until being well into my apprenticeship that I realised the potential to flex creative muscle lied within the meat industry. Actually, I think the need for creativity lives in most professions, and life in general. If you are creative, then you will find a way to apply your creativity, and your surroundings will benefit from it.
Being able to communicate and read social situations is arguably THE most important skill one could have in customer service. And customer service is the backbone (pardon the pun) of retail butchery. Lucky for me, I have always loved connecting with my customers! There are some other key traits I expect to share with other quality tradespeople. Such as; our attention to detail, our calm and level-headed approach to problem-solving, our ability to plan ahead for the week/month/year and our ability to prioritise (as to not become overwhelmed by the number of responsibilities being thrown at us).
When we roll all of that into one profession, one soon comes to realise that in order to truly master this trade, there are many, many skills to hone, and much satisfaction to have. In my situation, I err on the ambitious side, I have a penchant for large, complex projects and I've never been fond of taking "No" for an answer. Hence why, with great appreciation, I've been able to build Cannings into what it is today. I continue to believe that Trades (in general) are such a fantastic pathway towards professional satisfaction and should never be scoffed at or looked over because of preconceptions. A trade will challenge you to the level at which you like to be challenged and it will reward you just the same.
