Putting venison back on the menu
Venison is fast-becoming the red meat to buy – it’s local, environmentally friendly and sustainable, and it’s better for your health too.
A lucky encounter
A sunny glade, early in the morning, young shoots and green leaves on the trees, bluebells on the woodland floor and an inquisitive pair of black eyes spotted through the brush … a quick flick of the ears and tail, and the owner bounds off through the forest. Such an encounter with our largest herbivore, the deer, can be uplifting and exciting. But there is a complex story behind those eyes of conservation and management, farming and economics, that you just might not know about.
There are two species of native deer in the UK: red, roe; and four non-native species: fallow, sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer. Roe, fallow, muntjac and Chinese water deer are found in the Chilterns.
Eats shoots and leaves
Deer play an important part in the natural balance of our habitats and biodiversity. Their grazing and browsing creates structure within our woodlands and grasslands, keeping some vigorous plants at bay and allowing delicate wildflowers to flourish. Their droppings can disperse nutrients and seeds, encouraging plant growth and helping invertebrates. Yet, their ability to breed quickly and spread rapidly – with no natural predators to keep them in check – can increase populations to densities that can have a massive impact on some aspects of our wildlife, including the health and welfare of the deer themselves.
Over half of the Chilterns’ woodlands are classified as ancient woodland – in existence for more than 400 years. These woodlands develop particularly rich ground flora but, where deer numbers are high, this can be wiped out. Native bluebells, for instance, have developed a bitter taste to deter browsing by our native deer species, but this has no effect on non-native muntjac, that devastate them.
Through constant browsing, roe, fallow, and muntjac deer can cause damage to young trees and agricultural crops; one fallow deer can ear around 3kg a day. Muntjac also prevent coppice regeneration (coppicing involves cutting the branches of trees like hazel and willow to allow new growth to open up the forest floor). Some individual landowners have reported losing more than £1million per year to deer damage.
Fallow Deer (Helen Walsh)
Keeping our deer in check
Deer populations are now at their highest level for 1,000 years. When deer become a hindrance, it is up to us to keep them in check through stalking as we no longer have large predators to keep populations down. There is strict legislation in place protecting our deer to make sure control is as sensitive and humane as possible.
From a conservation viewpoint, managing deer numbers is essential for habitat maintenance, regeneration and biodiversity, and protecting young leaves, shoots, bark, trees and ground flora from being eaten to the point of destruction. Without this management, much of the food and shelter that insects, birds and small mammals rely on is lost. There are also economic and social benefits: from protecting arable crops and farming incomes, to providing local, sustainable, wild venison throughout the year.
Geoff Wickett, a local deer manager, found that lockdown allowed him to expand his stalking hobby into a viable side business. He founded Chiltern Venison, starting small by selling to local farmers’ markets and Peterley Manor Farm; but he was soon able to expand to other local shops, restaurants and charcuterie.
“Consumers are increasingly interested in venison,” he says. “There is a general awareness that deer are wonderful, but in the wrong place, in the wrong numbers, they are a problem. They are an environmentally friendly, ethical, and sustainable way of eating meat”.
The Chilterns National Landscape is supportive of local deer management because of the biodiversity and business benefits it provides. Justin Carter, Wild Venison and Game, found the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme invaluable in expanding his business.
“With help from FiPL funding, we have been able to double the size of our venison processing facility,” he says. “Enabling us to supply wild venison to a wider area and produce a variety of venison products.”
Geoff Wickett, Chiltern Venison
Versatile venison
The sale of venison can help to offset some of the cost of damage to timber and arable crops – while protecting our wildlife – and provides employment for deer managers and venison producers. Wild-caught venison is a high-quality meat and a great source of iron, zinc, vitamin B protein. It is also low in saturated fat, making it a great substitute for beef and other red meats.
You might think venison is expensive or hard to cook, but it’s actually very versatile: you can enjoy a joint or steak, dice it up for tender stews and casseroles, or mince it and use it in place of beef, lamb and pork.
Buying locally produced goods helps the climate, too. Meat that hasn’t travelled far from forest to table has a lower carbon footprint than that you might find in a supermarket, having been imported from other countries.
Where to buy local, wild venison:
Wild Venison and Game: http://www.wildvenisonandgame.co.uk/
Chiltern Venison: https://www.chilternvenison.co.uk/
Peterley Manor Farm Shop, Great Missenden: https://peterleymanorfarm.co.uk/farm-shop/
This article was adapted from “Putting venison back on the menu” by Helen Walsh, originally featured in Outstanding Chilterns Magazine 2023/24. You can read the current and previous issues of Outstanding Chilterns online.
Header image: Dave Olinski
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