Five reasons to visit the all-new BASC Dome at The Game Fair

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July 15, 2026

Next week, The Game Fair returns to the grounds of Ragley Hall in Warwickshire from 24-26 July, and visitors will find a brand-new fixture on our stand: The BASC Dome.

Positioned on the corner of the main stand, it’s a fresh addition to our already substantial presence at the show. It’s a space built entirely around hands-on skills, expertise and seeing exactly how wild food and country sports work, up close and explained in plain terms.

Whether you’ve been coming to The Game Fair for years or you’re a first-timer wondering what BASC does, here’s why The BASC Dome is worth building into your visit and what you’ll come away with.

1. See wild game become a family meal, from start to finish

BASC deer advisor James Sutcliffe leads a full roe deer masterclass covering skinning and butchery, supported by game chef Amy Thompson, with Joe Mann, head of food and nutrition at Queen’s College and Champion of Champions at the 2024 Eat Game Awards, handling the cooking and tasters. Thompson and Mann also lead a rabbit skinning, butchery and cookery session of their own.

Alongside those sessions, visitors are invited to try their hand at pigeon plucking, working through a target of 30 birds in-feather across the day. It’s an old countryside skill few visitors will have seen up close.

What you’ll take away: a genuine, unfiltered look at where game meat comes from, guided by people who do this for a living, plus the chance to taste the results.

2. Get the kids cooking with wild venison

Amy Thompson and Joe Mann also run a kids’ venison burger-making and cooking session, repeated more than once across the schedule so families have several chances to join in.

What you’ll take away: a fun, low-pressure way for children to get hands-on with real ingredients and understand where their food comes from, with no prior knowledge required.

3. Get the latest on the quarry species review

BASC’s head of wetlands and wildfowling, James Green, and senior science advisor Cat McNicol lead a session on wildfowling, with tasters to try.

The centrepiece is an update on the ongoing quarry species review – the government process looking at which birds can legally be shot and when. They’ll also discuss our wing survey, where wildfowlers send in wings from birds they’ve shot so BASC’s scientists can track population health nationwide.

What you’ll take away: a clear, up-to-date picture of a live issue affecting what shooters can and can’t shoot, plus proof that the people doing the shooting are often the same people gathering the evidence that keeps it sustainable.

4. Hear straight from BASC's leadership

A dedicated “Why BASC?” session brings together Chief Executive Ian Bell, BASC Chairman Eoghan Cameron and Orlando Wind-Cowie, associate director at Lodestone, to explain what BASC does and why it exists. The session runs across both Friday and Saturday.

What you’ll take away: a clear, jargon-free understanding of what BASC stands for and how we work on behalf of shooters and the countryside; it’ll be useful whether you’re a lifelong member or have never heard of us before.

5. Take a break with free tasters and the latest from BASC

Elevenses is a tradition on any game shoot: the chance to try some fantastic game nibbles while having a laugh and catching up with like-minded people, and The BASC Dome’s version aims to capture that same spirit.

Each day, Gareth Dockerty, BASC’s executive director of shooting and operations, will host a free tasting session covering our core work, the challenges facing the shooting sector, recent successes and what we have on offer for visitors at the show, with fizz supplied by Tanners.

What you’ll take away: free game tasters, a friendly break from the busier demonstrations and an up-to-date picture of what’s happening across shooting straight from the organisation leading the way. And if we’re lucky with the weather, you may also appreciate some shade!

Getting the most out of The BASC Dome

With a full programme like this and timings still being finalised, the best advice for now is to check the confirmed running order on arrival at Ragley Hall and build your day around the sessions that matter most to you.

In a show that’s always been about celebrating the skills of the countryside, this looks set to be the place where those skills are on liveliest display.