A butcher comes out in defense of one of those jobs that few young people think about dedicating themselves to, those that were passed down from parents to children and that now lack generational replacement, such as that of carpenter or plumber. This man is dedicated to the work of slaughterer, who is in charge of killing beasts or animals and dismembering them and then preparing pieces of meat for sale for domestic consumption.
“I am a slaughterer and butcher.” This is how the protagonist of the latest Talent Match video presents himself on his TikTok channel (@talentmatch.es), a professional who does not hide the reality of his traditional job: “Our job is very hard, very hard.” Talk about early mornings, physical strength and full weeks from Monday to Saturday. It is no coincidence that “it is difficult to find people” and that “not everyone who enters stays.”
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A traditional job that runs in the family
His story is that of many traditional jobs that come from the family and now young people don’t want to take them because they are very hard, like bricklayers: he started “as a child” in a saga where “the whole family were slaughterers.” That is why there is a lack of generational change in this type of profession, because there are few of those who dedicated themselves to them, many do not have children or their children simply prefer to dedicate themselves to office work.
Large supermarkets are “eating” local stores
One of the things that has also been gradually destroying traditional jobs such as that of butcher or fishmonger, without a doubt, is the rise of large stores or supermarket chains. That is why this slaughterer claims something he misses in the cities: more local stores.
“These people eat everything (in reference to the large logistics centers)… free parking, you don’t have to go to the fishmonger, bakery, butcher shop. But this is no longer changing.” A crude diagnosis of how the way of shopping and working behind the counter has changed.
A butcher starts charging 1,200 euros
When it comes to talking about money, there are no detours either: “When you start in a meat company you start with the minimum, 1,200 or whatever.” A starting point that, combined with long and demanding days, explains why it is difficult to attract replacement. The underlying message: if the showcase competes on the basis of price and convenience, the pressure goes down somewhere… and it usually comes down due to the payroll and conditions of those who cut, bone and prepare the product.
Beyond nostalgia, the video leaves several uncomfortable questions open. How is relief guaranteed in a job that requires skill, physical effort and getting up early, if the starting salary remains at the minimum? What space is left for neighborhood butcher shops compared to the all-in-one hypermarket? And, above all, how much should the work of the person who makes it possible for the meat to arrive clean and ready to the plate be worth?
The talent match slaughterer does not seek controversy: he describes his day to day life with the serenity of someone who has always lived it. But his testimony adds to a debate that is already echoing in many cold stores and counters: who is going to cut up tomorrow? And how much do you deserve to charge for it?