Make your shooting snacks from game meat
Game meat is in plentiful supply at this time of year. Philip Bowern reports on a campaign to eat more of it
IT is a sad fact, not always properly acknowledged in shooting circles, that game meat is rarely served at shoot lunches.
Some regular game shooters say there is a very good reason for this – that they take home their brace of birds at the end of the day and eat plenty of pheasant and partridge at home so when they stop for lunch half way through a day’s shooting, they’d rather have something different – thank you very much.
But now the The British Game Alliance – the organisation set up to increase the amount of game meat that goes into the food chain and raise awareness of the benefits of consuming this lean and tasty produce – want to build game meat into another part of the shooting day, elevenses.
The organisation today launches ‘#BGABites,’ a new campaign to celebrate shoots that serve game-based snacks mid-morning and to encourage those who don’t to try it. Elevenses might be a slightly outdated tradition today – but it’s one that hangs on in many shooting circles, not least because the social aspect of game shooting, including breaks in the day for a reviving bite to eat, is seen as important.
The BGA says it believes that serving game is a fundamental feature of a shoot day – not only to celebrate game meat as great British produce, but also to encourage guests to think differently about the way they cook with the game they take home after a day’s shooting.
The #BGABites campaign seeks to encourage its shoot members and followers to share game-based elevenses pictures and recipes on social media using the hashtag, to inspire other shoots with easy ways to cook and serve game nibbles, regardless of their size or resource.
Although this year’s game season will be impacted by the pandemic with socially distanced elevenses in place, the BGA hopes to inspire shoots to think differently about what they serve.
Constable Burton, a BGA-registered shoot, is being touted as a great example of a shoot promoting game meat at elevenses. Tristan Prudden, Head Chef at Constable Burton Estate, in Yorkshire said: “At Constable Burton we are passionate about using game at elevenses to encourage our clients to try it.
“We try to be as innovative as possible in the way we serve our elevenses and the focus is very much on modern recipes, which are relatable to the client. From Mallard Sushi, Kentucky Fried Partridge (KFP) and Venison Sausage Rolls to Squirrel Pasties and Pheasant Goujons, we create quick and warming bites that utilise the game we are producing at the Estate.”
He continued, “Since doing so, 95% of our clients proceed to order game on our evening menu, after trying our elevenses, as they can’t get enough. We think shoots should celebrate game meat by serving it in creative and delicious ways, ensuring that no meat goes to waste.”
BGA Chief Exec, Liam Stokes said: “Elevenses is such a great time to think about getting creative with game. Even serving pheasant sausage rolls is a bit different and gets people thinking about when else they might want to choose game, and it is so easy to do.
“We want to showcase as many examples as possible of game-based elevenses, from the fanciest delicacy to the heartiest pie, whether bought online or cooked at home, to inspire others to try something new.”
Recipes for game-based elevenses, or pictures of them being enjoyed in the field, can be sent directly to the BGA to feature on their website and social media channels, by using the #BGABites hashtag on Twitter or Instagram or by emailing info@britishgamealliance.co.uk. For more information on the campaign, search the #BGABites hashtag on social media or follow @britishgamealliance on Instagram or @ BritishGame on Twitter.
‘We try to be innovative, from mallard sushi to Kentucky fried partridge...’
TRISTAN PRUDDEN, CHEF