Game, by Royal Approval

Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Tim Bonner writes:

This week, Prince Charles claimed pheasant crumble to be his favourite dish. A great choice and a game recipe that is as quick and easy to make as it is delicious. With the game season in full swing and with Great British Game Week starting on Monday (19th – 25th November), there is no better time to be thinking about putting game on your own table.

Many articles have been written and words spoken about the wild game market. The chain from field to fork is undoubtedly convoluted, with shoots in rural areas far from processors, and the processing itself expensive compared to farmed meats that benefit from enormous economies of scale.

But game is a truly great product and with optimised marketing a streamlined supply chain and new markets opening up both at home and abroad, then it can also be a profitable one. The British Game Alliance is a key new element in this equation which has already had success growing the game meat market in the retail and restaurant sectors, as well as raising standards across the industry.

Whilst the British Game Alliance promoting game meat to the wider British public and around the world, the Countryside Alliance's Game to Eat initiative is focussed on maximising the amount of game eaten by our own rural community. We have been promoting and marketing wild game meat since 2000, and we continue to produce recipes and videos and to promote and advise game businesses. We remind people how good game is and celebrate those who are already taking the meat to the next level.

Shooting is a significant contributor to the rural economy, and it is important to understand that the game we shoot plays a key role in delivering those benefits. The end-product supports rural businesses up and down the country, it brings people and communities together, and it provides a healthy, traceable and sustainable source of protein. The game meat market is the future of shooting and we need to come together to help support it. This mission starts at home, and Great British Game Week is the perfect time to don your apron, do your bit and create the ultimate crowd pleasing 'royal' pheasant crumble!

Tim Bonner
Chief Executive
Follow me at @CA_TimB