Wait, Are You Supposed To Tip Your Butcher?

Sometimes, the rules for tipping are clear: In the United States, it's important to tip servers, taxi drivers, and hairdressers, to name a few jobs. This American restaurant etiquette doesn't always apply overseas, and not every industry requires tipping. However, there are certain gray areas, and a butcher shop is a great example – there isn't a clear-cut answer to whether you should tip butchers.

To get some clarity, Chowhound spoke with Koji Fujioka, manager of The Local Butcher Shop in Berkeley, California, which is known for its artisanal approach to meats. He shared that tips are fairly common at his shop, although he noted that such tips may be related to the relatively hard work that the butchers put in. "Our style of butchery, being 'whole animal' butchery, is labor-intensive and a craft that we put a lot of effort into," he said. "We wholeheartedly accept tips when people want to show appreciation for the efforts our butchers make, but it's not expected as it might be in a business such as a restaurant."

Generally speaking, tipping might be a good idea when making specialized requests, such as custom-cutting beef for a roast or breaking down a whole duck. This is in contrast to less labor-intensive work, such as ringing up spices or cooking oils, which The Local Butcher Shop also sells. Fujioka informed us that the average tip is around $5 to $10 at his shop, but tip or no tip, the decision to support smaller butchery businesses over a large supermarket chain is valued.

While opinions on tipping vary, the idea that tipping your butcher is appreciated but not mandatory seems widely accepted. Expectations for a tip might be higher when it comes to requests that require extra effort, like custom cuts of meat, as Koji Fujioka mentioned, or perhaps custom sausage blends. The winter holiday season, particularly around Christmastime, is often a busy time of year for butcher shops. Specialty cuts are being ordered more, and customers also tend to feel more generous. With these larger and more specialized orders, tips are more common. When in doubt, even a small amount — perhaps a fiver — can be enough.

That said, there are arguments for not tipping. It's considered unnecessary in corporate settings like supermarkets (similar to tipping etiquette for fast food restaurants). Some people find it unnecessary overall since butchers are professionals who are often paid as salaried workers, and they aren't on a tipped minimum wage like servers or baristas. Some would also argue that it's unnecessary to tip business owners. A more anti-tipping crowd may argue that tipping butchers just perpetuates an excessive culture of tipping everywhere. Ultimately, if you want to show some appreciation, a tip for the butcher is a good idea, but skipping it probably won't get you the derision that you would for stiffing a bartender.