We can cash in on demand for venison only if we manage herds well
SO what could these changes mean for availability of venison? The UK venison market is growing at an estimated 10 per cent per annum.
The consumer has developed a taste for it and recognises its healthy qualities. It is no longer available seasonally but all year and can be bought in lowerpriced supermarkets, high-end restaurants and the local pub.
TV cookery programmes and celebrity chefs have also given venison considerable airtime.
The UK imports about a third of the venison it consumes from New Zealand, Poland, Ireland and elsewhere. Imports have helped grow the market, and it might seem logical that if we cull more deer we can fill that vacuum with home-grown product. But it isn’t that simple as most venison imports are farmed. Supermarket buyers want uniformity, quality and “eatability” and farmed can do this.
The farmed deer sector in Scotland is growing, slowly but steadily, to capitalise on this opportunity. Wild, however, is culled at all ages, all conditions, and at times of the year when the meat might not suit our palate.
Wild venison works well for prime cuts from good animals, and for processed products such as pies and sausages, for which we have also developed a healthy taste. We have seen reduction culls before, and these have rendered a mere blip in the supply chain, and could result in a scarcity of stock in future. Hard winters have knocked the stuffing out of some deer populations, so much so there is no stalking. Tremendous care is also needed in getting that meat to market safely and hygienically, with hunters properly trained and qualified. There is a quality scheme, Scottish Quality Wild Venison, but many still operate outside it.
It is not just red deer we need to manage, but roe too. Roe numbers are increasing in low ground areas. Roe is well suited for local supply, with locally harvested product in the local butcher for local consumption, slashing food miles and promoting provenance provided this happens legally and safely.
We have a tremendous natural resource in venison – putting this great meat on the table is just one more aspect of the complexity that is modern deer management.