VENISON is one of the most under-rated red meats, with many consumers claiming the flavour is too strong for them.
The venison on offer at the Scottish Parliament this week at a presentation by those involved in this sector, which is now worth more than £70 million a year to the Scottish economy, was absolutely top notch.
Richard Lochhead, the Cabinet secretar
y for rural affairs, was clearly impressed. He said: "It is clear that the venison sector is of significant value to the Scottish economy. I am delighted to see so many interested parties come together to promote venison as a delicious and healthy option."
The red deer was recently voted Scotland's most iconic animal, but venison can also come from other species – roe, fallow and sika deer. The annual cull is in the region of 107,000 head, producing about 3,500 tonnes of meat. According a report published three years ago, deer management provides just short of 1,000 direct full-time jobs, with a further 1,500 related jobs.
Professor John Milne, the chairman of the Deer Commission for Scotland, said: "The recently launched strategy Scotland's Wild Deer: A National Approach explained how the government agencies and the deer industry working together can manage wild deer in a way that benefits all of Scotland's people and the environment.
"The health benefits and sheer tastiness of the venison produced in our hills, woodlands and fields from the management of wild deer should be more widely shared. The inclusion of venison on school and hospital menus should be our next step."
Stephen Gibbs, chairman of the Scottish Venison Working Group, who organised the event at Holyrood, said: "There is so much to say about venison – not least about where it comes from and how. It is so much a part of Scottish tradition and culture, and yet its story is amazingly complex. Scientifically it is proven to be among the most healthy of all meats available, and its availability is steadily increasing."
John and Nichola Fletcher run Scotland's largest deer farm near Auctermuchty in Fife and their products have been endorsed by celebrity chefs and cooks including Gordon Ramsay, Delia Smith, Nigella Lawson and Nick Nairn. John Fletcher – he is a qualified vet, while his wife is a renowned food writer – says their business is expanding all the time.
However, most Scottish venison comes from the hills and glens of the Highlands. Most large estates are members of the Scottish Quality Wild Venison (SQWV) initiative.
It aims to ensure that deer populations are being managed humanely and stalkers and gamekeepers are competent, and to guarantee high food hygiene standards of carcase handling and larder storage. SQWV now has a membership of over 100 producers and four processors.
The full article contains 466 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
