Ms Harper (54) moved to Lawrence five years ago after spending 15 years working in several butcheries in Australia, where she specialised in window presentations.
"I've always wanted to be a butcher, ever since I was a little girl when I used to go into the shops and the butchers were always laughing and having everyone on," she said.
It probably helped that the butchery business runs in her family.
Originally from Invercargill, she has two brothers and a nephew who are also in the same line of work.
Ms Harper is understood to be New Zealand's first female apprentice butcher, serving her four years for two different employers in Invercargill.
Ms Harper said she opened the business last Saturday and reported a hectic, 12-hour first day, assisted by her brother Garry.
"It's been a bit of a quiet week since, but not too bad," she said.
The butchery is the second business to start up in Lawrence's main street in recent weeks, following the Main Street Bakery's opening about a month ago.
Part-owner Tony Omelvena said his family, originally from Dunedin, had previously run a bakery in Queenstown.
When a suitable premises became available in Lawrence, they converted the former Asian takeaway food shop into a seven-day bakery.
"It's been going really well actually, although passing traffic has been a bit quieter this month. Local support has been awesome though," he said.
