Previous magazine articles 
The real Highland feast
Men have stalked deer around and over the Scottish Highlands for centuries, and now age-old old prejudices are being challenged by a new generation of venison producers who are keen to prove their wild beast tastes as good, if not better, than any other meat on the market.
One particular company is intent on utilising best practice throughout the process while providing a food product that is a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional dishes.
Jo Skailes visits a leading Scottish wild-venison producer, and finds there's more to the meat than just great taste…
Highland Game, the Dundee-based venison producers promoting "nature's own produce", have worked hard to raise the profile of what they see as a truly Scottish feast.
The company collects carcasses from deer larders throughout the Highlands, and provides venison to wholesalers, caterers, butchers and multiple retailers, as well as direct online sales throughout the UK.
Christian Nissen, Highland Game's owner and Managing Director, considers venison a hugely important asset for Scotland: "From the hill to the table and beyond, whether in the food or tourism industries, it is a symbol of Scotland. It's one of the last natural products to exist, alongside perhaps some fruit and mushrooms. Everything else is now farmed. Scottish wild venison is a wonderful alternative to other meats."
Indeed, any nutrition expert will testify that the meat is affordable, healthy and as naturally organic as only a wild animal can be. It is high in protein but low in cholesterol and saturated fats, and with no added salt or additives it makes an ideal healthy alternative. Highland Game's new retail range of wild venison won "Best New Product in Retail - Healthy Eating" at the Scottish Food & Drinks Awards 2006, and has been endorsed with the Healthyliving stamp.
Scottish Executive Food and Health Coordinator, Gillian Kynoch, says she is delighted to be working in partnership with the company to promote healthier eating: "The Scottish Executive Health Department is very happy to award Highland Game the Healthyliving Food & Drink Excellence award in recognition of their success in promoting Scottish wild venison as a healthy and natural alternative," she says.
"It is very exciting to see venison move out into the mass market alongside other meats, and Highland Game's new Retail Range is a valuable addition in making venison more available to the wider market."
"We are happy to have such a natural and healthy resource on our doorstep."
Mike Lean, Professor of Nutrition at the University of Glasgow, supports the evidence to suggest that wild venison is a healthier and more nutritious alternative to traditional meats: "Wild venison contains all the nutrients of other meats but less than half the fat of beef, and a quarter of that of lamb. It is much more similar to chicken in terms of nutrition."
Consumption of British venison in the UK has risen substantially in the last decade. When Christian first took over, the company was an export business and the overseas market comprised around 95 percent of their sales: "When we started we wanted to differentiate between the export and domestic markets. Back then, the domestic product was simply what you couldn't export. My wish was to try and turn that around and drive it forward in the UK."
Trade in venison and those activities associated with it are huge, and Christian knows it is vital to send out a positive message; deer must be culled in order to ensure their survival and venison is a by-product of that management. "Deer need to be managed", he says. "If they aren't they will manage themselves and they will die as a result of over-population. There aren't any natural predators and they are very good at breeding so managing the population is very, very important."
"Deer stalkers, rangers and everyone involved in killing animals for butchering are experienced men who will at all times be looking to kill the animal in the best possible way. New regulations try to ensure that the hunter or stalker is also now trained to a national standard." "It is very important that best practice is seen all the way through. You can't dispatch an animal unless you have the necessary training, or unless there is someone highly trained overseeing you. We have a responsibility."
Christian is well aware that safe handling is as important as a safe kill to ensure the meat reaches the highest possible standards. Highland Game lists 200 suppliers and the team has been careful to build up strong working relationships with all of them. Kirsty Macdonald, Highland Game's Quality Control Officer, ensures they are working in line with the industry standard Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) - a system of control based on the prevention of food safety issues throughout the manufacturing, packing, design and storage process.
"Kirsty has to work with producers to make sure we receive the raw material in the best possible condition", says Christian. "It is very difficult to control wild venison and therefore it is important to put extra controls in place to make sure it is of the highest possible quality."
After taking over the company in 1997, Christian and his team were determined to raise the standards and were behind moves to introduce industry regulations. "We didn't want to be different from other meats", he says. "The whole game industry has to appreciate that venison has to be produced to the same high standard as beef, lamb or pork and then it might be chosen as an alternative. Quality, quality, quality - it is so important."
Highland Game is the only company dealing with venison in Scotland that is British Retail Consortium (BRC)-approved. They were also among the drivers for the introduction of the Scottish Quality Wild Venison Assurance Scheme (SQWV) in an effort to increase consumer confidence and raise standards throughout the chain, from stalking to handling and packaging. As a result, Highland Game's processing facility is the only accredited wild-game plant in Scotland.
"I think the consumer is now ready to think about healthy eating and ready to try something new, so long as it is good quality", says Christian. "There is a general drive towards eating out more, and diners are expecting restaurants to offer something different. Also, venison is not as expensive as perhaps it once was."
"What's more, chefs can use their imagination! It is not just fillet - there are so many other items from deer and we are trying to persuade people to think outside the box. We are appealing for a bit of experimentation. There are a lot of talented chefs in this country and they need to be given the scope, and the ingredients, to try things out."
Christian is continuously developing ways to reach the private buyer at home, and Highland Game's own packages of venison in various cuts are popular in households across the country. "We are continually working with manufactures and butchers, trying to encourage them to be more adventurous, and even supermarkets are now being creative in offering a variety of alternatives."
Highland Game is already supplying Scottish Waitrose stores, and is set to launch in Tesco supermarkets this September. "We are taking away sales from farmed venison and replacing it with wild venison", says Christian with a smile.
Having set out to rid the industry of negative associations of dodgy game dealers mishandling the meat, ten years on Christian is proud to have raised the standard of venison production across the industry, as well as his own company.
"The Highland Game brand is now recognised for quality. It is a multi-award-winning and well-recognised company and I want to continue building on that success and persuade more people to eat Scottish wild venison."
www.highlandgame.com
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature please see Catering in Scotland magazine September/October 2006.
To join our database, go to Media Pack on this website and click on Subscribe.
