SEBG News
Game on for Scottish Produce This Christmas
22nd December 2009Scottish rural estates are celebrating a festive boost as more people are turning to game and other local produce to put on the table over Christmas and New Year.
Demand for home-grown food has soared, with Scottish venison proving particularly popular this year.
Industry experts put this down to changing tastes and the ability of Scottish producers and suppliers to meet stringent consumer demands. Game products, once the preserve of specialist butchers and luxury department stores, are now readily available on the shelves of supermarkets across the country.
Last year, supermarket giant Tesco announced that venison sales had jumped 56 per cent in 2008, making it one of the UK's fastest-growing meats in terms of popularity. Meanwhile, feathered game sales have increased by 18.8% since 2006, contributing to the doubling of the market value over the last three years.
Richard Williamson of the Scottish Estates Business Group (SEBG), believes that Scotland’s game can now compete on a level playing field with other meats: “Estates across Scotland, together with the rest of the industry, have worked hard to meet customers’ needs and are now reaping those rewards. Estates are proud to play their part in this Scottish success story.”
Christian Nissen, owner of Highland Game, Scotland’s leading suppliers of game, explained the surge in popularity. He said: “At the heart of all this is a wonderful product and we’re now seeing demand for it outstrip supply.
“Take venison, one of the most popular meats, for example. Consumers now have choice – a choice that meets their high demands and is quality assured. We’re seeing people try venison for the first time and after that making it a firm favourite on their dinner table.
“It won’t ever outstrip turkey as the nation’s Christmas dish, but for many discerning consumers, it’s a great alternative.”
Top Scottish chefs including Nick Nairn and Andrew Fairlie have endorsed the use of Scottish produce and use it regularly in their award winning restaurants and recipes.
Scotland has more than 600 small and large estates producing around 3,500 tonnes of wild venison annually, contributing about £70.4million to Scotland’s economy.
The industry itself is worth around £105 million pounds per annum, and accounts for 966 direct jobs and a further 1,555 full time equivalents, many of these in remote rural areas.
For further information:
Ramsay Smith, Media House: 0141 220 6040 / 07788 414856 email: ramsay@mediahouse.co.uk
or Gordon Robertson, Media House: 0131 247 7520 / 07887 542 124 email: gordon@mediahouse.co.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
SEBG represents a group of progressive land-based estates with significant agricultural and rural business interests. It aims to promote a modern business approach in the management of Scotland's land resource in ways which deliver social, economic and environmental benefits. The Group seeks to secure a sustainable and prosperous future for rural areas and its members work hard across Scotland to stimulate enterprise and economic development.
