BEN BAYLY, AHI, AUCKLAND WILD GAME

IF ANYONE IS GAME for a challenge, it’s Ben Bayly and he has the perfect meat partner to promote that notion. Ben has made it his mission to educate our palates about the myths and misunderstandings around wild meats and that’s reflected in his menu at Ahi in Auckland. There you’ll find wild pig, tahr, red deer, fallow deer and wallaby, all courtesy of Premium Game, from whom he sources all his wild meat supplies.

The Blenheim-based business is a licensed supplier of 100% wild game meat. The beasts have truly lived on the wild side: no captivity, no live transport, no abattoir. And they are completely free from hormones and antibiotics. A team of registered hunters harvests wild game from the South Island high country and the fully integrated operation controls all aspects of the supply chain from start to finish.

The proof lies on the plate. “People think that game tastes gamey, and that’s not the case,” says Ben. “Professionally hunted game has a real clean taste. Premium Game is choosing the best animals; it’s handling the meat in the best-practised way.” Game is a pest in New Zealand, he adds. “We’re doing the world a huge favour by eating it.”

The meat from Premium Game is lean, highly nutritious, organic and biodynamic, says Ben. “It’s the best meat to put in your body.” It works both ways: the animals are leading their best lives, too, running wild and free. Ben, who has been out hunting with the Premium team himself, says the relationship goes beyond chef and supplier “[Owners] Darren and Nick Clifford have become my friends.”

Ben’s wild game tartare starter is a firm fixture on the Ahi menu. “The first thing that people put in their mouth is a great responsibility: this is a real scene-setter.” premiumgame.co.nz, ahirestaurant.co.nz