Not long ago, venison had a somewhat fusty reputation. The meat once brought to mind gentlemen of a certain vintage in braces and bowler hats with goblets of too-warm claret. That has changed. In some circles, it has even been labelled woke.
Recent years have seen a multi-pronged campaign to get more deer on the menu. Sporting venues like Wimbledon and multiple football grounds now flog venison burgers. Public bodies including hospitals, universities and schools – even some nurseries – have introduced it.
It is part of an ecologically-driven effort. There are over two million wild deer in Britain, the highest number in a millennium. With no natural predators, Britain’s six species (only two are native, red and roe) are essentially running riot. Their main offence is preventing forest from regenerating by eating saplings. This year, the government has announced plans to increase culls.
These days any self-respecting restaurant will serve venison in some form. Whether in central London or at Knepp Wilding Kitchen, on a rewilded West Sussex estate – where deer are culled to control populations – venison is seemingly everywhere. At Knepp, racks are grilled over charcoal and damp hay and cooked medium rare. ‘It’s the first thing to sell out,’ says chef and director Ned Burrell.
Nearby, at The Woodcote in the South Downs, where deer populations are huge, Nathan Cornwell uses venison regularly. ‘At the moment we’re using fallow deer, generally working with the saddle as the main cut, but we try to use as much of the animal as possible,’ he says.
The Public House Group owns seven gastropubs in London and the Cotswolds. In the traditional game season (autumn and winter) venison is served in several ways. At the Cotswolds production kitchen, Guy Dewsnap makes pies, including a current venison, mushroom and carrot number. ‘It’s extremely popular, we’re getting through 4-5,000 a week.’ He also produces a dried sausage and paté en croute, using around 70-80kg of venison a week.
On 13 October, The Pelican, one of its establishments in Notting Hill, hosted a ‘game dinner’, serving grilled haunch and loin alongside celeriac as its centrepiece. ‘We wanted to mark the start of the season with a proper dinner,’ says executive chef Doug Sims. ‘Venison has an incredible depth of flavour but it’s also surprisingly delicate. It works particularly well with the roots and vegetables we have at this time of year.’
Deer populations have rocketed across the country, but Scotland is still often considered the spiritual home of venison. Unsurprisingly, chefs there are effusive about the meat.
In Edinburgh, The Palmerston buys whole animals, whether farmed or wild, and uses fallow, sika, red and roe throughout the year. Recent dishes including fried venison shin with braised red cabbage and mustard sauce have proved a hit. ‘Pretty much if we’ve got venison on the menu, it sells out,’ says chef patron Lloyd Morse.
A short walk across town, Michelin-starred Timberyard has taken its dedication further than most. Last year it gave up farmed meat; naturally, venison now makes up a significant portion of its tasting menu. For executive chef Bart Stratfold it’s ‘an incredible source of protein that’s so readily available. People think it’s just for a statement or ethics, but the depth of flavour you have from truly wild animals, which is what we use, you can’t beat it.’
Bart uses most species, but tends to avoid red (‘too big and unruly’) and often has large cuts ageing in the fridge. ‘People fixate on gamey flavours, but I don’t know if you get those with deer,’ he says, describing fallow meat as ‘pale’ and ‘elegant’. The funky, potentially offputting meat some associate with venison, he says, comes from eating stags, particularly red deer, during the rut, when they’re bursting with testosterone.
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A current dish of dry-aged roe deer with caramelised onion purée, chard and mushrooms, and an intense peppercorn relish, plays on the classic steak and peppercorn sauce combination. Venison is extremely popular with customers.
Where possible, Bart makes a venison haggis, although getting hold of the offal can be tricky, as many stalkers remove the pluck and leave it ‘as a gift back to mother nature’, Bart says. ‘There’s quite a lot of romance to it.’
For many chefs, venison’s environmental credentials make it a no-brainer. With around 350,000 animals killed a year (many ecologists argue the number should be double), it makes sense to serve it more widely. ‘Historically it was maybe just in higher-end restaurants,’ says Guy Dewsnap. ‘But it’s definitely grown in popularity. Deer are essentially a pest. You could say it’s the only sustainable meat in the UK. As chefs move towards caring more about where ingredients come from, it’s a natural winner for protein. And it’s delicious.’
Yet it is still shrouded in misconception. Foremost, that it is only an autumn and winter meat (some species, including invasive muntjac and fallow, are killed in spring and summer, too). Bart reckons fallow is best in spring. Second, that it is posh and expensive. The chefs I spoke to said it was similar to, if not cheaper than, beef.
Third is that it is tricky to find for the average consumer, and tough to cook. Sourcing it can be a challenge. Supermarkets are increasingly stocking it, although usually farmed and sometimes imported, which in some ways defeats the point. But if you can get hold of some (online retailers – such as Pipers & Co or The Wild Meat Company – farm shops and butchers are your best bet, though you might have to order it in advance) don’t be scared of cooking it.
Guy says a shoulder or haunch is easy to braise and eat in a casserole or pie. Mince can be turned into burgers or bolognese. ‘If you can grill a piece of lamb or beef, you can grill a piece of venison,’ says Lloyd Morse. ‘Like any piece of meat, when overcooked it'll dry out. But grilled pink and rested nicely, it’ll always be delicious.’
At the beginning of his career, Bart recalls venison being relatively rare. ‘The more grand, classic restaurants might have done it. Game was something people made a big deal about serving. Some still do, but, particularly in autumn, I’m now shocked if a menu doesn't have venison.’
Venison recipes to try at home
