It's a meaty career path like no other, but finding highly-trained butchers to join the ranks of local meat merchants is no easy mission.

'Not many people want or choose this career for various reasons,” says local butcher Doug Jarvis, who is on the hunt for skilled workers.

'It's really hard to find good butchers, meat professionals, or anyone from the meat industry.

'We in New Zealand rely on foreign workers, like immigrants from the UK, Australia, and South Africa, to fill our specific areas of shop butchers. My problem is I'm losing butchers and unable to replace them.”

Covid-19 and border restrictions are the key contributors to this beefy crisis.

'I can't even get any from Auckland because of strict movement,” he adds.

'I'm at my wits' end with worry because I still have to pay rent, outgoings, electric and everything else that comes with owning a business.”

Doug is no ordinary butcher. He studied meat inspection and food hygiene in the UK before working as a meat inspector. He's the popular owner-operator of Doug Jarvis Butcher and Deli, which has outlets in Pāpāmoa and Mount Maunganui.

It is the mark of desperate times when you can't find good butchers to make Lancashire black pudding, English-style pork pies, traditional Cumberland and Lincolnshire sausages and Cornish pasties.

Being a butcher is a hard job with early starts, and keeping customers supplied with every type of delicious item makes it doubly tough at times.

'This has come to a critical point, and it looks like I will have to close one of my stores,” admits Doug.

He says workers from meat works are good at what they do in their roles 'but not trained in shop working and small goods like sausage making, curing and meat cutting”.

His business is famous for its extensive range of sausages, aged beef, young tender lamb, corn-fed chickens and fresh, farm free pork.

'There is no subsidy or funding available for this. If I don't find staff soon it will take everything down and I'm left with nothing.

'It's not just me - I know everyone is affected by Covid but I just scraped through our lockdowns and now it's looking bleak.”

Doug is after two apprentice butchers, two qualified butchers and two butcher managers for his two shops. A great disposition, presentation, enthusiasm and energy is required, as well as a keen eye for detail and good hygiene standards.

Please send an up to date CV with a cover letter to: doug.jarvis02@gmail.com