A loaf end trimming station for a high speed food loaf slicing machine, includes a frame, a first knife and a second knife spaced apart along the frame and oriented in positions corresponding to a lead end trimming location and a trailing end trimming location of a food loaf. The trimming station includes a loaf cutting support for receiving the loaf, and a motive mechanism to move the loaf cutting support toward the knives to trim ends off of the loaf. The trimming station includes a loaf staging support, wherein the loaf cutting support deposits the loaves on the loaf staging support after being trimmed by the knives. The loaf staging support is tiltable between a staging position to collect trimmed loaves and a loading position to deliver trimmed loaves to the high speed food loaf slicing machine.