Interview
Julien Marsac, president of the artisan butchers and charcutiers of Brittany.
Why gather here?
Every year, the regional federation of butchers and charcutiers organizes a festive event with artisans and their teams, and our suppliers. This year, we wanted to meet in Finistère, we needed fairly large premises, because there are many of us. Aven Parc meets our expectations.
How do you become an artisan butcher or delicatessen?
We generally start with the CAP, which is a state diploma. Then there is the professional certificate, which is a professional title. It is prepared in two years on a work-study basis with the apprenticeship master. It’s the same for the delicatessen and catering certificate, another diploma. There are also more and more butchers using it. We are vigilant about apprenticeships, we are afraid that the government will reduce aid for hiring apprentices.
What qualifications are needed to open a butcher shop or delicatessen?
You need at least a CAP or professional certificate. It can go as far as BTS. It is not reserved for bad students, as we sometimes believe. Some “bad students” at school find their way into these professions. And there are more and more different profiles, entrepreneurs, for example, who are not butchers, but who invest, or more or less late reconversions. To open a butcher’s or delicatessen, you need at least one qualified employee. There are going to be some great deals to pick up in the coming years. The chambers of trades take care of apprenticeships, the closest is in Quimper, where there are still places in charcuterie.
What is the federation for?
We are there to provide support, for example for communication. We go to fairs like the craft fair in Quimper, the agricultural fair in Paris. A day like today serves to bring together butchers, delicatessens and caterers, but there are also representatives of slaughterhouses (there are at least five in Finistère), suppliers of accompaniments, all the people who gravitate around the profession.
Information on boucherie-bretagne.com or www.jedeviensboucher.com
