Traditions of old enlisted to tackle a very new challenge
Wild venison is not only tasty but supports conservation, Athwenna Irons reports
ADEVON-BASED couple on a mission to promote the eating of truly wild venison as an everyday meal have taken a leaf out of the history books to help share their message with the public.
Mark and Victoria Heyes, founders of Wild Hart Venison, feared the worst as their once fully-booked diary of carriage rides and guided tours of the Bovey Castle Deer Park, which experienced deer keeper Mark manages, was wiped out almost overnight following the announcement of the first national lockdown in March.
With Shire horses Ben, Duke and Rockie fit and ready for what should have been a busy Easter holiday and summer season, the husband and wife duo - originally from Lancashire but now based in Cornwood near Ivybridge - refused to be defeated and with venison still to sell, hitched up the carriage and made their first horse-drawn deliveries to the towns of Moretonhampstead and North Bovey. Proving a real hit, Mark and Victoria have since expanded their radius to visit Ashburton, Chagford and Tavistock.
Mark said: “The main message I am passionate about getting across is that the venison our customers buy from us is undoubtedly the most ethical meat produced anywhere, certainly on Dartmoor.
“It’s wild and its flavour mirrors the seasonal forage available on Dartmoor, being uniquely pure of any human intervention.”
All 100% wild and sourced from within the Dartmoor National Park as part of conservation and deer management programmes that Mark has devised for a variety of private landowners, farmers and estates, the venison is butchered in-house and sold in a variety of plastic-free packs - instead opting for compostable butcher’s paper and wool insulation.
Ranging from £15 to £40 and including a selection of everyday cuts such as burgers, diced, mince and sausages, Mark and Victoria are keen to break down the barriers of venison being perceived as a luxury product, instead putting it on the family dinner table and making it accessible for every budget.
Mark added: “There’s no reason why you can’t be having a Chili Con Carne on a Monday night made with venison mince. We want to make it accessible and affordable.
“Some people might think we are stupid doing that, but I think we are actually increasing value for venison by getting more people eating it at sensible prices, rather than trying to keep it up on a pedestal which in fact puts a lot of people off.”
While the horse-drawn carriage makes for a pretty picture, Mark also sees it as a perfect opportunity to talk to members of the public about the importance of managing deer numbers in order to ensure a healthy and sustainable population.
He explained: “Deer have a really negative impact on biodiversity and cause a lot of damage and economic loss to farmers. If they are not being managed properly, they can start changing the way that Dartmoor looks.
“By eating our wild venison, you’re actually supporting Dartmoor because those deer have been culled as part of conservation programmes designed to manage woodland and increase biodiversity.”
Read the full feature on Wild Hart Venison in WMN’s West Magazine on Saturday, January 2