A NEW generation of Cornish butchers is being trained to help safeguard the future of the county’s independent food businesses as Duchy College launches a specialist Butchery Academy.

Among the first apprentices is 22-year-old Bailey Tremayne, who hopes his training will eventually lead to him running the local butcher’s shop where he already works.

Bailey was working at the shop when its future was threatened by the prospect of closure. The business has now been taken over by local businesswoman Tercia Cummins, securing its future and allowing Bailey to continue working there while training as a qualified butcher.

“I’ve always loved the butchers and it’s a really important part of the local community,” said Bailey, who started the Level 2 Butchery Apprenticeship at Duchy College earlier this month.

“I love working there and learning from the team, so when I got the chance to do the apprenticeship, I knew I wanted to take it. Hopefully one day I can manage the shop myself and keep it going for the community.”

His story is at the heart of a new initiative designed to tackle a growing skills and succession challenge facing Cornwall and Devon’s food and farming industries.

The Butchery Academy, based at Duchy College Stoke Climsland, was officially launched at an event hosted by Great Cornish Food Store in Truro.

The academy has been developed with employers across Cornwall and Devon, including Great Cornish Food, Dunbia, Kepak, James Kittows, Hearn’s Dartmoor Butchery, Philip Warren and Son, Oughs Butchery, Protea Butchers and Tamar Valley Meats.

The aim is to give local people a clear route into the butchery trade while helping businesses secure the skilled workforce they need to continue operating and growing.

Tercia, who is taking over Bailey’s butcher’s shop, said saving the business was driven by its importance to the local community.

“I don’t come from a butchery background. I spent around 18 years working in spatial design, so taking on a butcher’s shop is a completely new chapter in my life,” she said.

“After losing my son Kiam, my outlook on life changed enormously, and through a series of circumstances I came to know the shop and understand just how important it is to the local community.

“When I realised it could close, I felt very strongly that this was something worth saving.”

Jon Eggins, who will teach the college-based element of the apprenticeship, said the training would cover far more than simply cutting meat.

“There’s a lot more to butchery than cutting meat,” he said. “Apprentices will learn everything from preparing different cuts and using specialist equipment to food safety and professional butchery techniques.

“Combining those practical skills with real workplace experience gives apprentices a strong foundation to start their career.”

Alongside the Level 2 apprenticeship, Duchy College plans to introduce a Level 3 pathway and short courses for those looking to progress or develop existing skills, particularly as the industry currently faces a significant succession challenge.

Figures highlight that 26 per cent of business owners are planning to retire within five years, while 82 per cent of meat business owners would welcome an apprentice, yet only 33 per cent currently employ one.