During her short career Charlotte Harbottle has worked for six different butchers. She landed her current job - at O’Shea’s in Knightsbridge - after the owner of the shop saw her blog, girlbutcher.co.uk

Name: Charlotte Harbottle
Age: 24

How did you get into butchery?
I fell into it. I was working part-time in butchers shops while doing a theology degree and I loved it. There’s also a bit of a family connection because my mother’s an agricultural consultant and we’ve got loads of farmers in the family although I grew up in urban Newcastle.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
I find it quite satisfying. If you’re sat in an office getting paperwork done that’s one thing, but if you’ve got an entire side of beef in front of you that you have to chop up and make it look edible that’s a completely different feeling.

What’s your ambition for the future?
I definitely want my own shop one day. I’ve only been doing this for a year now and I can do most things but it’s still a bit scruffy around the edges. There will never be a stage where I’m fully qualified because butchery is about constant learning. You’re always getting better and getting new ideas.

It’s also quite an artistic thing that’s very particular to the individual. Butchers do everything completely different to one another.

Topics

Meet the Young British Foodies