The drop in demand for venison from the restaurant industry during lockdown contributed to the UK wild deer population reaching two million, its highest level for the last 1,000 years. Herds of wild fallow and red deer, and thousands of solitary roe and muntjac roam farmland and woodland across the country. The more deer there are, the further they have to roam to find food and more damage they cause to precious woodlands, rare plants, birds and invertebrates. This issue was even featured in The Daily Mail. And there is also the issue of traffic collisions especially on dark country roads.

As they have no natural predators left, deer numbers would increase by 60% each year if they were not culled by stalkers and land managers. So when we consumers buy wild venison we are helping to protect sensitive areas of the countryside from damage by deer populations that have got out of balance with their habitat.

Venison is also a healthy choice of meat being lower in fat and calories than beef and high in protein and iron. It also has a low carbon footprint (with no crops being grown for feed) and is essentially organic as they forage for themselves. And if you buy from a local game dealer the food miles will be very low too.

Juliette from Savernake Game sells venison to local residents around the Savernake Forest. “All of our stalking syndicates follow a cull plan for each individual woodland that is designed to improve the habitat and environment,” explains Juliette. “And we make sure that the meat doesn’t go to waste and is enjoyed locally for its flavour and health benefits. For instance if you are having a smaller Christmas gathering that doesn’t warrent a turkey, why not try venison instead?”