If you find a job as a butcher, you may be working in a local shop as an assistant or, more likely, you could be working in a supermarket (where most of the meat in Britain is sold). Remember that there are a lot of safety and hygiene regulations that you will need to follow, probably more than with any other type of food. Don't be afraid to ask other staff for help, as the vocabulary here can only be a rough guide.

Things you may hear from your colleagues and supervisors:

Keep the knife sharp.

You need to maintain a high level of hygiene at all times.

Always wear a chainmail glove when you are cutting this sort of joint.

Chainmail is the material that knights used to wear under their armour. Wearing a chainmail glove can mean that you return to Poland with the same number of fingers as when you left.

We need to unload the van quickly. The meat must not defrost before it goes into the freezer.

Your boss will tell you how to handle frozen meat. Obviously nothing must thaw (stop being frozen) and be frozen a second time, for health reasons. You might find that unloading a refrigerator van takes priority over anything else you were doing at the time.

Can you check the temperature of the fridges? Then write the number in the log book.

Wrap the slices in greaseproof paper and then put the price sticker on it.

Put the plastic container on the scales and press TARE. Then put the meat in it and press the price button.

Reduce the price on this lot. We need to sell it today, otherwise we'll have to throw it away.

Things you may have to ask your boss:

How do I dismantle the bacon slicer? I think the blade needs to be replaced.

Where is the first-aid kit?

Is this meat fit to be sold?

This means: is the meat suitable?

Things you may say to and hear from customers:

We have a special offer on stewing steak today.

Would you like it lean or with some fat left on it?

Lean means that it doesn't have much fat.

Is it organic?

Are these chickens free range?

Free-range chickens come from farms where they don't live in small cages. If they are caged birds, they are called battery chickens. There are also free-range eggs and battery eggs. The meat usually has a label to tell you which type it is. It may seem like a strange question from a customer, but animal welfare is one of the more popular political issues in Britain.

What sort of sausages would you like? Pork or beef?

We haven't got any left today, but we're getting some in tomorrow. I can put some by for you if you like.

Shall I cut it in two for you?

This is something you might ask if the customer is buying something that doesn't fit in a shopping bag very well, such as a whole rabbit.

Would you like anything else madam?

Would you like anything else sir?

In Britain, shopkeepers don't usually say Have a nice day! to their customers. This expression is more common in America.

Some words you might need to use or recognise:

a meat cleaver tasak

to carve pokroić

a mincing machine maszynka do mielenia mięsa

a carcass tusza

offal podroby

a chopping board deska do krojenia

dripping tłuszcz z pieczonego mięsa

a cut of meat część

a veal cutlet kotlet cielęcy

a pork chop kotlet wieprzowy

poultry drób

a shoulder of lamb łopatka jagnięca

spare ribs żeberka

a sharpening stone ostrzarka do noży

pigs trotters nóżki wieprzowe

a string of sausages sausages connected to each other

a mop and bucket mop i wiadro

disinfectant środek dezynfekujący

a walk-in refrigerator This is a fridge which you can walk into. It's a large room with the temperature reduced. There are also walk-in freezers.

pre-packaged meat This is meat that has been put into packages before it is sent to the butcher's

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