Wild meat for all

Having worked in the charitable sector for over 20 years, I know from experience that every new role presents its own learning curve. Joining The Country Food Trust at the beginning of 2022 was no different. Fortunately, I am blessed with both an engaging board and wonderful patrons – Mike Robinson being one of them.

Our first meeting in 2022 was a baptism of fire in all things deer: from learning about the various species, best management practices, recipes that work on a mass scale and how to broaden venison take up across demographics. The Country Food Trust, was at the beginning of this journey, having just launched its first ambient venison meal, to fantastic feedback. We now also offer venison pasta bolognese, a product that is particularly beneficial for the homeless who lack access to heating appliances.

We are customer led, listening to the needs of foodbanks and their clients. Many lack onsite refrigeration, so our ambient meals are essential; others do have refrigeration and are eager to support people in developing cooking skills. With this in mind, we now deliver tonnes – yes, tonnes – of raw venison each month to foodbanks and community kitchens across the country.

Providing both options has been extremely well received, and we have been thrilled with the feedback. One organisation recently wrote to us, saying:
“One tonne of minced venison has filled our freezers, fed the homeless through a shelter, made hundreds of community meals, and gone out to struggling families across west, central, and north Devon. Environmentally ethical meat is out of reach for many of these families, individuals, and organisations, so your amazing contribution is especially valued.”

In the summer of 2024, I was approached by a philanthropic environmentalist, and we had a long discussion about deer management. Armed with the knowledge I had gained from my first meeting with Mike Robinson and partnership working with BASC, the Forestry Commission, and estates around the country, we devised a plan focusing on fallow does in Sussex.

The essence of the project is to work with local stalkers to cull an additional 750 does. Once processed, the meat is distributed to foodbanks and community kitchens across the county, meaning local communities benefit from meat sourced directly from the land they live on.

We are now about a third of the way through the project: 300 does have been culled, resulting in over 50,000 meals. By concentrating on does, we aim to reduce population growth in future years while assessing the improvements to the landscape. I am in weekly contact with the stalkers, whose expertise and insight are vital. Based on their feedback, we are now considering adding about 10% bucks to the cull to ensure the herd remains balanced.

The results of this project are overwhelmingly positive and we are ready to use the template created to roll out the scheme in other counties, where we can get backing from local philanthropic donors.

Deer management and environmental improvement were the start of this initiative. However, the social impact outcomes are much wider, including The Country Food Trust’s mission of using this wonderful protein to feed people in need locally. This initiative reflects the essence of The Country Food Trust and we will continue to pioneer innovative ways of providing game meat to those in need in 2025 and beyond.