How Wild and Game is creating a post-Brexit UK game market

As the Duchess of Rutland recently said in an interview with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain, pheasant deserves a bigger place on UK menus.

Speaking about her opposition to the opening of a McDonald’s in Rutland, she said she would feel better about the prospect if pheasant was on the menu there. Correcting Piers Morgan’s assumption that pheasant is expensive, she said: “A pheasant is the cheapest food of all. It’s clean food. We are desperately looking for a market for our game in this country – it’s a big issue.”

Food producer Wild and Game was founded with the aim of addressing this issue head-on. At present most of the game produced in the UK gets shipped abroad. Wild and Game’s founders Steven Frampton and Michael are creating a market for wild game in the UK by reimagining some of the UK’s favourite dishes with game as a key ingredient. They also sell ready-to-cook game and provide easy game recipes on their website.

Wild and Game’s products have already won awards, and their range is expanding regularly. Its most recent additions were its premium chicken, pheasant and mushroom pies and its premium steak, pheasant and ale pies.

The company’s aim is to make game a regular fixture in the UK’s supermarkets and it recently took a step in the right direction by getting its first products listed with Ocado. These are selling well, and the company aims to have more products listed soon.

Wild and Game founder Steven Frampton said: “We welcome the comments from the Duchess of Rutland. The underconsumption of game in the UK really is a big issue, and one that needs to be addressed. Game is plentiful in the UK.

"It’s sustainable, healthy and delicious, and following Brexit it’s just the type of home-produced food we should be championing. We’re delighted with the success we’ve had so far and have big plans for 2020, including the launch of some superb new products.”

Why not try this delicious recipe?

Easy, tender pot roast pheasant with mushrooms

Some people think pheasant can be a tough meat, but this pot roast recipe will ensure the meat is tender and juicy – and it’s beautifully simple, too.

Feeds 2-4

Ingredients

2 Wild and Game pheasants
3 rashers cooking pancetta or streaky bacon, chopped

Chopped shallot – 1 large or two small

6 tbsp double cream
1 tbsp honey
1 glass white wine
150g mushrooms, sliced
1 litre chicken stock
2 cloves garlic
1 pinch dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 knob butter

Method

Pre-heat the oven to Gas 4/180 degrees centigrade

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large hob-to-oven casserole dish

2. Add the pheasants and cook for a few minutes until browned, then remove

3. Add the pancetta, shallot and mushroom and cook until softened

4. Add the herbs and garlic and cook for a few more minutes

5. Add the pheasants, stock and wine

6. Transfer to the oven and cook for 1.5 hours

7. Remove the pot from the oven, take out the pheasants and stir the cream and honey into the sauce.

8. Let the pheasants rest for about 10 minutes then serve with the sauce and vegetables of your choice.

The Wild and Game website is at www.wildandgame.co.uk

On Ocado Wild and Game’s pies are both priced at £3.79  https://www.ocado.com/search?entry=game%20pie

Image by Foto-Rabe www.pixabay.com.