The Women Who Rule the Meat Cutting Industry

Written By Melody Turner

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy a good story almost as much as a good cut of meat. I had the opportunity to speak with five women who are at the top of their game in the meat cutting industry. I’m excited to share their stories with you in this article, along with why this topic is important to me. Let’s get to the meat of it!

Why I’m Featuring Women Butchers

I have been surrounded by strong women my entire life. My wife keeps me headed in a positive direction when my mind wants to crash and burn in amazing fashion. My mother instilled values in me that taught me to focus on faith and keep moving when shit gets real deep. I have three sisters that are so talented, stubborn, ornery, and loving that you would never dream all those characteristics could go together. And two sisters-in-law that I am so proud of for accomplishments too long to list.


Strong women are such shining lights on our sometimes dark world. They lend support and guidance in ways we don't always take time to notice. Often these strengths go unnoticed because we have grown to expect or need them. Like kids who fall and hurt themselves, I find myself reaching for women when I need help.


I am not here to write a political piece, and I don't really want to hear what you think I should or should not say. These are my feelings, my way of telling my story about amazing ladies. Maybe I'm giving credit where credit is due; maybe I'm shining a light on a story that’s way overdue. Either way, here we go.

Who the Typical Butcher Is

Chances are that if you have found your way to my webpage, you love food. To be more specific, you probably love meat. A well-cooked steak, a mouth-watering pot roast, or a juicy burger is sure to get your taste buds tingling. A good butcher had their hand on many steps along the way. 


Now let's think for a second of what you see when you think about a butcher. Is it a 50-year-old man with a bald head, round belly, holding a sharpening steel, and way too damn big butcher knife? Or, maybe a young man wearing an old school paper hat reaching into a service meat counter to pull out your perfect cut. Maybe you see several people working behind the glass at your Costco meat department, all in white with hair nets and beard nets.


Did any of you see any women in your head? I am willing to bet no. I’ll admit I don't, and why is that? According to statistics about butchers published by Statista, 25.7% of butchers and other meat, fish, and poultry processors are women. So, out of 136,770 total meat workers in the United States, there are 35,150 female butchers! That is a huge number. But could it be more? Should it be higher?

How My Career as a Butcher Started

I have been a butcher for almost 25 years now. I held my first professional role in this industry at 16 years old. Hell, I had to lie about my age and find a company blind to facts or willing to give a kid a chance to get my first job. I will never forget it. I would show up after school, help with anything I could help with, and then clean up the shop. 


Even so, I did not start to excel until I started to work with some of the amazing meat wrappers. Really this happened when I became an apprentice meat cutter. Now, not all meat wrappers at the time were ladies; I can think of two or three men that filled that role. In my opinion, the meat wrapper was the key to a super-strong team. They would keep things organized, communicate needs for the meat counter, and answer questions from customers.

Top Women Butchers of the Meat Cutting Industry

Today the ladies who began their careers as meat wrappers are running businesses, managing high volume retail shops, building social media empires, and training our next generation of meat industry professionals. Their work ethic is undeniable, the craftsmanship exceptional, and leadership is unquestionable. In short, they are quickly becoming the present and future of our industry.


So, let’s get to the meat of the matter here, the reason I was inspired to share this story. Here are my friends; five butchers that are currently changing the way we think about butchers. Five butchers who are improving their working environment. Five butchers that you want and need to know about.

Tiffany White: Charlie’s Place Butcher Shop

Photo coutesy of Tiffany White of the Charlie’s Place butcher shop

Tiffany White is an expert butcher at Charlie's Place butcher shop in Alberta, Canada. She is a fearless ground-breaker in the butcher community. You may have seen Tiffany compete on the show “The Butcher'' on The History Channel. She is also currently in the running to become Miss Jet Set for missjetsetmag.com.


In my opinion, Tiffany is best described as a jack of all trades in our business. She fills the roles of butcher, rancher, mother, wife, daughter, and mentor on a daily basis. Her passion lies in supporting local businesses and providing the very best guest experience she possibly can.


When I asked Tiffany for the advice she would give to anyone trying to enter our industry, she simply said, “Keep your head up.” For those of us who have worked in the industry, we can relate to that advice. The hours worked, holidays missed, and working conditions can become a real challenge if you let them.


Her personal favorite experiences at work are when she is able to help her customers with suggestions and advice for the meals they are preparing, and they come back happy! Her personal favorite cut is the cap off of the top sirloin. So, please remember that tip when you're looking for a dinner idea at your favorite local butcher shop.


Tiffany currently works with her father at Charlie’s Place. They offer 600 different products and process domestic and wild game. She is proud to offer 28-day aged beef coming from their very own farm. In the meat industry, getting products raised locally by the people selling them is so rare and a reason to support that shop for sure.


You can reach Tiffany White in these ways:

  • Instagram: @badassbutcherbabe

  • Butcher Shop: Charlie’s Place at 101 997 Fir Street, Sherwood Park, Alberta 

  • Phone: 1-780-915-2592

Mayra Castaneda: Big Butcher Family

Photo courtesy of Mayra Castaneda of the Big Butcher Family

If we were to ask people who is their favorite person in the “big butcher family” the name Mayra Castaneda would be very likely to top the list. Mayra is known so well for her vibrant personality, huge heart, and constant desire to become the very best butcher she can be. You will be hard-pressed to find a person more well respected in their industry.


Living in North Central California, Mayra started in the seafood department at a local Savemart when she was 19 years old. She quickly moved into helping and earning an opportunity in the meat department. Mayra was so committed to seeing that she was successful in her meat cutter apprentice training, that she worked her entire pregnancy right up to the point of going into labor in her training class.


Mayra eventually became a journeyman butcher and moved onto whole carcass butchery, where she learned to skillfully break down full carcasses of beef. If you have ever done this you know it is hard physical work, and not for the faint of heart. If you have ever heard the term “dead weight” this is where it comes from. 


Mayra’s favorite meal to cook for her family is a great roast with a killer side. I can clearly see that she has a lot of value for the lesser cuts, they require time and precision to cook well. Her favorites to cut and suggest are beef shanks and plate short ribs. Nose-to-tail butcher shops like Beast and Cleaver in Seattle Washington is a dream job she would like to accomplish in the future.


Mayra is a testament to her tenacity and commitment. She keeps it very simple for herself and others saying “if you want it don’t give up; if you want it, keep after it”. Just make sure you focus on keeping your shop clean and organized!


You can reach Marya Castaneda in these ways:

Kaitlynn Maffia: Illetschko's Meats and Smokehouse

Photo courtesy of Kaitlynn Maffia of Illetschko’s Meats and Smokehouse

Minnesota may be very cold right now, but Kaitlynn Maffia is keeping things smoking at Illetschko's Meats and Smokehouse in South Saint Paul. This amazing mother-to-be is currently working with her father and stepmother at the family business. They have been in operation for 14 years. Kaitlynn has been cutting meat there for six years.


The butcher industry is full of so many different types of jobs, and this upper midwest business is fulfilling the needs of its local customers. Kaitlynn processes some beef, a lot of hogs, and wild game. She also processes something I have never had the opportunity to, and that is waterfowl! Seriously, I didn't even know that was part of our industry.


Aside from processing animals, Kaitlynn and her family stay very busy operating two smokehouses where they smoke a lot of locally caught fish and sausage. I am a huge fan of quality sausage. So, I was curious to hear about her favorite sausages. The pepperoni pizza brat is one of her favorites, as is the shop’s popular house-made M&J garlic sausage.


I can personally tell you that Kaitlynn is a friend to many people in our industry, even receiving high praise from industry leader Keith from Davison’s Butcher Supply. She enjoys working with her dad and finds a lot of inspiration from the @Butchers_lounge_live crew on Instagram.


You can reach Kaitlynn Maffia in these ways:

Plus, you can send an email to Mike, Kaitlynn’s dad, at mike@illetschkos.com.

Emily Gray: The Butcher Block

Photo courtesy of Emily Gray of The Butcher Block

If becoming known as the go-to butcher in a busy, growing, vibrant city is your goal, then Emily Gray is living your dream. Emily is the lead butcher, advertising genius, and driving force behind The Butcher Block just outside Nashville, TN. Emily was tossed into the fire and tasked with becoming a butcher when the need arose at her family's shop. 


I have had so many great chats with Emily over the last year or so. She is such a talented butcher but always looking to ask questions and continue to grow her knowledge. In her shop, the customers are often surprised to find so much knowledge and confidence coming from a young female butcher. She finds a lot of pleasure in knowing she is educating her shoppers and sending them home with cuts that they can be proud to serve their families.


Emily has now been in the meat industry for over six years. And if you were to have asked her high school counselor, she would have never been expected to star in this role. To be honest, she didn't expect to find herself in this role, either. But Emily would not trade her current role or profession for anything.


A point of serious pride for Emily was how she and her team responded during the initial wave of the covid pandemic. Butcher shops across the world were smashing sales records and serving customers they had never seen. It was no different at The Butcher Block, and Emily was happy to meet the needs of her local community. They had the meat, and if the people were patient, she made sure they went home with the best meats for their tables.


Personally, the Instagram account Emily has built is second to none. When looking over her posts, reading what she is writing about, and dreaming about cooking the great cuts she posts, you get lost in a total meat euphoria. She is so smart to show and create such a welcoming and inviting shop with her at the forefront. And the picture of her holding those steak skewers is one of my all-time favorites for sure.


You can reach Emily Gray in these ways:

Shayla Drummond: Publix Supermarket

Photo courtesy of Shayla Drummond, an expert butcher at Publix Supermarket

Shayla Drummond is leading the charge for lady butchers in the greater Atlanta, Georgia area. Shayla is currently the assistant meat manager for Publix Supermarkets, and has been a butcher since July 2019. She has been with Publix for over six years now.


A career as a butcher was not always in the cards for Shayla. She was an assistant department manager in the deli before moving to the meat department. Shayla quickly realized that the people working in the meat department were having fun and appeared less stressed as a whole. So she gambled on herself, stepped down from the current position she had worked so hard to achieve, and made a switch.


Making a bold move was supported by a strong network of family and friends. This is very important to Shayla. She says that seeing people that look like her, that are succeeding and happy, gave her a lot of confidence as well to make the move. Even when she tends to second guess herself, her work ethic and drive continue to speak for themselves. She was promoted within a year!


I asked Shayla about challenges she sees for lady butchers in our industry. She said that receiving the opportunity to get proper training was an issue. Shayla kept working hard to fulfill her roles and then squeezed her way onto a cutting block. Equal pay for equivalent skill can also be a challenge. I can say with certainty that we need to do better in terms of training and pay in our industry!


According to Shayla, she is proud to belong to the butcher community. Belonging to it has been a great experience for her. Being recognized and interviewed by the Butchers Lounge Live was also an exciting and proud moment. Receiving so much love and support from people she has not even met in our industry has been such a great feeling.


You can reach Shayla Drummond in these ways:

Bottom Line

This article was such an honor and so much fun to write. But I won't say it was easy. I wanted to showcase these incredible women. I want the world to know that they are great butchers, a wealth of untapped knowledge, and need to be taken seriously in our industry. 


I want to personally thank each butcher for taking the time to help me accomplish this article, for being vulnerable, and for trusting me to tell just a tiny piece of your story. You are all shining lights in this industry. I wish the very best for every one of you!

Before you go, make sure to check out the pictures these amazing butchers shared with me. Most importantly, go check out their work in their shops and on Instagram!

Melody Turner
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Raising the Steaks