Food for thought: an expert’s advice on good game handling

Getting the quarry we harvest into the food chain is an essential element of shooting. So how do you get game to the table in the best possible condition? BASC’s Julia Newman gets the low-down from Nick Lister of Ox Close Fine Foods.

One of the Code of Good Shooting Practice’s five golden rules is that game is food and must always be treated as such. This principle underpins sustainable shooting, it shows respect for our quarry and ensures that nothing is wasted.

Gamebirds are an excellent source of healthy meat which is low in fat and contributes to delicious dishes. However, for game meat to enter the food chain it is important that it is handled correctly.

I recently spoke with Nick Lister, the National Game Dealers Association representative on the Code of Good Shooting Practice steering committee.

Nick is a partner in his family-run game dealer business Ox Close Fine Foods. He also won the Ian Richardson Trophy in the 2024 BASC list of honours and awards. Here is what he had to say about the practicalities of dealing with game:

Always remeber that game is food

Q: Why is it so important to handle game correctly?

A: We must remember that birds, once they’re in the hand, become a food product. We need to think about hygiene and temperature. That means getting the product chilled down properly, not left to degrade in a warm heap somewhere. It’s really, really important to make sure that birds are handled correctly when they are picked up, in the game cart, in a chiller and then by the game dealers at the end. That way we make sure we’re ticking all the boxes from a food perspective.

Q: What can shoots do to get game to you in the best possible condition?

A: Follow the principles set out in the Guide to Good Game Handling. Getting game back to the larder as soon as possible is the first crucial step. Ideally, after every drive or every other drive if possible. Game cools down better when it is hanging compared to when it is arranged in trays. So, hanging rails would be the better set-up for a game cart. However, in some instances, such as when it is warm and flies may be an issue, trays in a cool game cart might be appropriate.

The larder temperature should be 0-4^oC, with plenty of space between the birds to allow air flow. Hanging is also best in the larder, but if a shoot only has the option to stack the birds in trays, these should not be stacked immediately side by side. Allow space between the stacks to let the heat dissipate so that birds in the middle cool properly.

Common mistakes

Q: What are the most common issues with birds you receive, or the most frequent mistakes that people make when handling game?

A: Early season, especially with pheasants, smaller birds can sometimes be seen. This may occur when shooting begins before the birds have fully matured. Or, as in this year’s case, when weather conditions have been less than ideal. The mild weather has meant the birds haven’t gained the weight and condition they typically would if it had been wetter and slightly colder. Waiting a little longer before starting shooting can help.

The other issue we see most often is the ‘green’ birds we receive. The green comes from birds not being handled correctly, such as being left in heaps or packed too tight on a game cart or chiller. The green often occurs within the first 25-30 mins but it can easily be avoided through good game-handling practice. That is, ensuring plenty of airflow around the birds and avoiding overcrowding. Taking these simple steps helps ensure the product reaches the end consumer in the best possible condition.

Qualifications and legal requirements

Q: What is a ‘trained person’ and when is this status required?

A: A ‘trained person’ is a qualification, provided by organisations such as BASC, which enables someone to supply wild game to approved game handling establishments (AGHEs). At least one member of the hunting party must be trained. This person must carry out an examination to identify any characteristics indicating the meat could present a health risk. The examination must take place as soon as possible after killing. For small game it is encouraged that the trained person presents a ‘hunter’s declaration’. However, it is not a legal requirement. Further information can be found in the Wild Game Guidance document produced by the Food Standards Agency.

Q: What are the legal requirements for selling wild game for human consumption?

A: There are two different paths. If you’re a hunter or part of a hunting party, you can be registered under your local authority. This allows you to supply game or game meat in small quantities to the final consumer and/or to local retail establishments who directly supply the final consumer. So that means having a small area with hygienic facilities and correct waste disposal inspected by your local environmental health officer. Then you can sell to the public products appropriately labelled and with relevant record keeping etc.

The other option is to become an AGHE registered with the Food Standards Agency. This gives you a health mark so you can supply the wholesale or catering trade on a larger scale. You can then also export game birds and in-fur products to the continent.

There are big differences between local authorities and the Food Standards Agency and the ways in which we’re allowed to process product. This can cause conflict between people who think or see that they can do it cheaper. But when operating as an AGHE, specific criteria must be met. A really good example is the different approaches we must follow when breasting pheasants. So if you’re registered under environmental health, you’re allowed to breast them by ripping the skin open and skinning with the feathers still on to remove the breast meat. But as an AGHE, by law we have to pluck the pheasant completely before we can remove any meat from that product.

What we can do as consumers

Q: How soon after a shoot should the game birds be prepared?

A: Two to five days, generally. In a chiller, you can hold and hang it a little bit longer, up to about ten days. However, modern consumers don’t like the strong, hung, gamey flavour that older generations used to like. So we like to see most of our product go through our factory within two to five days of being shot.

Q: What can we all do to help the game market?

A: As a community, we all need to eat more game and ensure it is handled properly to be able to get it on dinner plates. Using non-lead alternatives will help to open up new markets.

From a game dealer’s perspective, we need support from shoots because trying to sell game at our level is getting harder and harder. People are undervaluing our costs by giving it away or selling it on Facebook for nothing, because they think that’s a better way of doing it. Game dealers need the support of shoots in particular to make sure that we’re still here in two to five years’ time. I’d encourage shoots to use a game dealer rather than supplying the final consumer or pubs and restaurants. It’s understandable why it’s happening at the moment, due to supply and demand issues across the country.

Game needs to be appropriately valued, especially not undervalued. We need to acknowledge the costs occurred during the process. This includes collection, processing, packaging and the correct disposal of any waste.

Q: What is your favourite way to cook a game bird?

Roast a bird in a tray with the crust end of a white loaf underneath it. Lift it out of the tray then let it rest on the bread so all the juices soak in. You end up with fried bread with all the juices in it. Then carve the breasts off the bird and serve it on the bread. I think this works best with a mallard or a teal.

For further guidance read the recently-updated Guide to Good Game Handling here.

You will also find the Wild Game Guidance document produced by the Food Standards Agency on the FSA website.

Julia Newman

Julia is BASC’s game and wildlife advisor. She enjoys game shooting, beating, clay shooting and being outdoors exploring the countryside with her dog.