Familiar Faces: Tara Parkinson

You would be challenged to find a young girl who when asked what she wants to be when she grows up replies with "butcher".

It is a profession Tara Parkinson "never, ever, ever imagined" she would end up in, but a fleeting conversation with a friend turned into an apprenticeship and a subsequently successful career change.

But a butcher is not all that far from what the 31-year-old had aspired to be as a young child.

"I wanted to be a chef," Tara said.

"I guess I've worked in the food industry since I was 15 and was a cook for five years, so that's pretty close."

Not only a butcher, Tara is the manager of the Dardanup Butchering Company at Eaton Fair Shopping Centre and has been for more than a year.

She started a three-year apprenticeship as a retail butcher, but was promoted to second-in-charge during her second year.

Eight months later Tara was again promoted to manager.

Although the Bunbury woman never imagined she would be making a living as a butcher, Tara said it has been her best career move yet.

"It's really good - it's the happiest I've ever been and I have a great team at the moment," Tara said.

Tara is one of only two female butchers at DBC and the only - and first ever - female manager.

She said working in a usually male-dominated industry had little effect on her.

"At first I thought it would have been hard, but everyone's been really good and times are changing anyway," Tara said.

She said she found it difficult to stomach trips to the abattoir and work with things like pig heads, but it was all part of the job.

"I kind of don't like to think where they come from," Tara says sheepishly.

She admits she had been lucky, avoiding any serious injuries in her position to date, apart from "a couple of stitches and some little nicks".

Tara said as butchers experimented more with gourmet products, she was able to delve into her creative side.

She recently created the chicken parmigiana sausage, which has been a favourite at DBC.

"I think from years in the food industry, I know what flavours work," Tara said.

A familiar and friendly face around Bunbury, Tara has worked at Aroma Cafe and was a cook at Caf-fez for five years.

At the age of 17 Tara's position as manager of a cafe in Perth, where she lived briefly, all but proves she was destined to be a leader.

Tara said she loved the fact she was constantly learning in her job and was able to interact with customers.

"Managing people has also been very challenging, but over the years I've got better at that," she said.

"It's definitely made me a stronger person and I love that I can have some influence on the younger guys."

"At first I thought it would have been hard, but everyone's been really good and times are changing anyway" - Tara Parkinson