No matter what kind of food establishment you run, it's important to have the proper equipment available for success. For example, a bakery requires equipment such as dough mixer machines and commercial floor mixers. Without these tools, the business wouldn't be able to produce or market its products.

The same holds true for any food-based establishment, butcher shops included. They may not be restaurants, per se, but the equipment needs are there all the same. Whether you're starting a butcher shop or you're looking for an upgrade to your current equipment, here are four items you can't hope for success without.

Knives, Cleavers, and Saws
When you're cutting meat, there's no question that you'll want the best tools on the market. Butchers often require high grade tools such as cleavers and saws to work through fat, muscle, and bone all at once. The traditional butcher's set includes: 

• A 10-inch butcher knife
• A six-inch beef skinner
• A five-inch narrow boning knife
• A six-inch wide blade boning knife
• A bone ax
• A 25-inch bone saw
• A heavy-duty meat cleaver

Meat Grinders and Cutters
While much of the initial butchery is done with hand tools, there's no denying that modern meat processing technology has taken much of the burden off of butchers. In fact, these tools are often very necessary to ensure that meat is cut and processed at the rate it needs to be to service customers and other food establishments that might rely on it to create the food they serve. Let's take a look at two essential pieces of meat processing equipment: 

• Electric Meat Cutters - Like it or not, electric meat cutters are more efficient and more powerful than cutting meat by hand. They're especially useful when it comes time to cut large quantities of meat at a fast pace. In addition, cutting frozen meat is no problem when it comes to commercial meat cutters.


• Electric Meat Grinders - In the same line of work, commercial meat grinders make ground beef a breeze. Many burger joint owners choose to grind their meat in-house, but that doesn't mean a butcher shouldn't be able to grind meat for their customers!

As with all restaurant equipment, sanitation is essential. No matter what tools you use for cutting meat, all cutting services, utensils and countertops should be sanitized with a solution of one tablespoon unscented chlorine bleach in one gallon of water. With your equipment and sanitation in check, you should be good to go.