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BASC champions Scotland’s wild larder at Holyrood reception
BASC Scotland has celebrated the contribution of wild game and venison to Scotland’s food culture, rural economy and natural environment at a Scottish Parliament reception marking Great British Game Week.
Wednesday’s reception, sponsored by Rachael Hamilton MSP, brought together politicians from all the major parties, industry representatives and stakeholders to celebrate Scotland’s natural larder and highlight the wider benefits of sustainable shooting and wild food.
It formed part of BASC’s support for Great British Game Week, which celebrates the quality, sustainability and versatility of British game and encourages more people to make wild food part of their everyday diet.
£246 million of benefits to Scotland
BASC’s report, The Natural Capital Benefits of Shooting, estimates that shooting delivers more than £246 million in annual natural capital benefits in Scotland, including carbon sequestration, recreation, public health and contributions to food, farming and forestry.
BASC also highlighted the opportunity to grow Scotland’s venison market through better processing infrastructure, stronger local supply chains and greater public awareness.
Guests were served a selection of wild game and venison canapés, showcasing the quality and potential of locally sourced produce.
Game is not a luxury
Addressing the reception, BASC Scotland director Peter Clark said game and venison were more than high-quality food, describing them as an important link between Scotland’s countryside, its sporting heritage and its food culture. He said:
“Scotland has one of the finest natural larders in the world. From our uplands and forests to our farmland and wetlands, our countryside provides an extraordinary resource of wild food. Whether it is a forest, a grouse moor, a lowland shoot or a wetland, the principle should be the same: the food we take from the land should help sustain and improve the land from which it comes. It is BASC members, from gamekeepers to deer managers, who carefully manage these landscapes to ensure we have wonderful game and venison.
“We need to challenge the perception that game is an expensive luxury reserved for special occasions. Venison and game are increasingly competitive with traditional meats, particularly everyday products such as mince, diced venison and sausages. They are local, nutritious and versatile, and offer consumers an alternative to imported and intensively produced meat.”
A conservation opportunity
Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, said:
“Scotland’s wild larder must be recognised not just for the quality of its produce or the economic value it generates, but for the conservation opportunity it represents.
“The event was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the very best of Scotland’s game and venison, as part of Great British Game Week.
“The hard work and stewardship of gamekeepers and deer managers ensures that we have a wonderful food source intertwined deeply with the skilled management of Scotland’s countryside.
“Game and venison support many businesses, not only in my constituency in the Borders, but right across Scotland.”
Looking for ways to put more game and venison on the table? Find recipes and cooking tips here.
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