Bungendore's female butchers are a cut above

Bungendore Country Butchery is the kind of place where you can walk in the door, chat with the friendly staff, and get your meat butchered to your preference.

That has remained unchanged for 28 years. What has changed, though, is who you will likely see butchering your meat. This local butchery currently has on staff three female butchers under the age of 30, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by the locals.

“This is a female-forward business. Of the 11 staff here, nine are women. It’s a great working environment. I couldn’t think of a better group of girls to work with. We’re very lucky, and we’re all very strong-minded.” says Grace.

Grace Zorzi came to Bungendore Country Butchery three years ago after completing her apprenticeship at a butchery in Evatt. A year later, Haylee Laidely joined the team; she also came after completing her apprenticeship.

A year after that, the team took on Charlotte Edwards as an apprentice. Fresh out of school and the youngest of the group, Charlotte was not shy about piping in with her story.

“My parents were in here one day, and they got chatting with Grace and the girls. They came home to tell me about what a great place it was, and that’s where it all started. I’m now doing my apprenticeship, which I started in February.”

The camaraderie among the women is very clear. These girls have a spirited attitude, and they’re proud to be making their way in a male-dominated industry. They also contain ample youthful energy for the job. Grace tells a story of women only representing 2 per cent of the industry, and when asked if this is changing, Grace looks to Haylee, and they nod. Outside of their trio, they’ve only ever met one other female butcher.

Talking about the longevity of the career for women, the ladies all acknowledge the physical nature of the job but agree that it’s something that you get used to.

“Grace and I don’t struggle with it any longer. You get stronger over time. There are also things we can do to make it less stressful for our bodies. Charlotte is still building up the physical strength required for the job but in the last few months alone has built a lot of strength,” says Haylee.

“Charlie also helps us out with some of the heaviest lifting. There are times you need some ‘man muscle’ for sure,” says Grace.

As if to demonstrate what a woman can bring to the job, Haylee lifts a 35-kilogram lamb body and carries it out the front of the shop, keen to get a photo with the team.

What keeps the girls excited in their work is the chance to be real butchers. The cattle come from the Darmody lot on Trucking Yard Lane, on the outskirts of the village, and are broken down from whole carcasses, a mode of operation that is surprisingly rare in 2024 and one that the people of Bungendore appreciate.

“We break down around 10 bodies a week (cattle) and 25 to 30 lamb bodies. It’s a lot compared to most butchers,” says Grace.

“In other butcheries I’ve worked in, we’d get half a body a week. In most butcher shops, it’s all cartons now, and you don’t get the chance to break the bodies down.”

Grace, Haylee and Charlotte feel that the three of them ending up in the one workplace was happenstance, but owner Paul Darmody tells of an industry where finding trained butchers is hard and he seeks out not only skilled butchers but staff who can offer a high level of customer service.

“In a town like Bungendore, it’s all about the personal service, and that’s what my team offers: a great experience. We offer a farm-to-plate product. People get to see where their food comes from, and we get to train our butchers in a way that works for our business,” Paul states.

Paul doesn’t overstate the unusual circumstance that he has in his butchery with his female butchers, but his pride in his team is obvious.

With the convenience of supermarkets taking the place of niche businesses like butcheries, Bungendore proves year after year that the skills of a local butcher are valued and needed in the town.

The Darmody butchery is bucking a trend in more ways than just the female-led team. The bustling nature of the shop on Gibraltar Street is in stark contrast to an industry that, in many places, is a dying trade. In Bungendore, if you aren’t buying your meat directly from Paul Darmody in his shop front, you’re buying Bungendore Country Butchery meats from the local IGA, or if you’re lucky, you’re winning one of their meat trays at one of the dozens of pubs they supply in the region.

Bungendore Country Butchery is located at 17 Gibraltar Street, Bungendore. You can head into the store six days a week to experience the friendly country service that they’re known for. You can follow what’s happening with the team and watch the women break down whole carcasses on their Facebook page.