A fortnight-long event organised by the UK’s largest shooting organisation, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), to encourage people to enjoy eating game meat has been a huge success.
National Taste of Game Fortnight ran from 6th – 20th November and was part of BASC’s ongoing Game’s On game promotion campaign. Game meat has seen an explosion in popularity in recent years.
A taste of the countryside was brought to the capital during a three day game tasting event, when a deer carcass was prepared and cooked by restaurateur and broadcaster Mike Robinson at the world-renowned Borough Market. Game with a Tandoori twist was served up during the event by chefs from restaurants including the Cinnamon Club, Cinnamon Kitchen, Moti Mahal and Vatika in London and Massala in Cobham.
The National Taste of Game event was extended this year from a week-long event to a fortnight-long event because it has proved to be so popular and events were held across the UK.
The campaign was given a touch of spice with the launch of National Taste of Game Fortnight, India. BASC has been encouraging Indian restaurants to put game meat on the menu as part of the campaign, which ran alongside National Taste of Game Fortnight.
This year, BASC joined up with Harrods and independent supermarket chain Booths to promote game meat. Ten thousand Harrods-branded BASC recipe leaflets were printed to be given out at the iconic London store’s famous food hall and 25,000 recipe leaflets were available to customers at Booths stores during National Taste of Game Fortnight.
Northern Ireland Environment Minister Edwin Poots and Jim Shannon MP presented braces of pheasant to two of the Province’s top chefs.
A game and ale tasting evening was held at Burton-on-Trent’s National Brewery Centre.
A Game’s On beer was on sale at the Yew Tree Inn in Bunbury, Cheshire, during the fortnight and more than 60 local game dealers and food and drink artisan producers showcased their wares at the Yew Tree Inn Cheshire Food & Drink Festival. A number of Cheshire-based chefs put on game cookery demonstrations and gave advice on game preparation.
More than 40 people tried a taste of game with the Devon Wildfowling and Conservation Association when they hosted a game evening at the Globe Hotel, Fore Street, Topsham, Devon.
Simon Hamlyn, BASC’s director of operations, said: “The response to this year’s National Taste of Game event has been absolutely phenomenal. We have encouraged many more people to enjoy eating game which is fantastic. Game meat is fabulous. It is delicious, wild and extremely versatile and it can be locally sourced. We will continue to build on our efforts to get even more people eating game.”
BASC has been promoting game as a healthy, sustainable and highly nutritious food since the mid 1960s. The Game’s On campaign began in 2005. More information and numerous tasty game recipes can be found at www.gameson.org.uk
ENDS