#SAITfaces: Ray Bucknell

When he’s not teaching students in the Butchery & Charcuterie Management certificate program #HereAtSAIT the ins and outs of meat cutting and curing, he’s boning up on new developments in the industry he has loved for two decades.

“There’s so much to learn in the meat business. Even after 20 years, I feel I only am at 50% capacity for what I could know.”

As consumers’ approach to eating meat evolves, Ray expects to see even more shifts in the industry, in terms of training and education.

“The future of butchery comes down a lot to the culture of food and what that will look like for people who consciously think about how they consume meat and where it comes from.”

And that means highly educated, specialized, trained butchers who can do everything from humane harvesting to high-level charcuterie — something we’re already seeing.

“It’s less about dinner on the table. Now we see a culture of connoisseurs sourcing good products from good farmers and finding creative ways to cut and serve meat.”