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Wild Venison on the school menu in Scotland

In a new initiative supported by local estates on the Islay and Jura, wild venison is on the school menu for pupils at the local schools on both islands. The Scottish Countryside Alliance is delighted to see this initiative up and running and hopes that this partnership will continue for many years to come.

The project, which brings wild venison from estates on Jura to school kitchens, has been made possible by the new Wild Jura butchery business, founded by Cath and Andy McCallum. Their dedication to making locally processed venison accessible has bridged the gap between the community and this outstanding natural resource.

Director for Scotland, Jake Swindells said:

“As a rural campaigning organisation, we promote wild venison as a highly nutritious, healthy and sustainable meat product, and hope that initiatives such as this will continue and gain traction, allowing venison and other game meats to be introduced to a new generation of consumers in schools, as well as hospitals, and other community venues across Scotland”.

Councillor for Kintyre and the Islands, Alastair Redman celebrates this initiative, adding:

“This initiative shows the strength of collaboration between local businesses and public services. Supporting enterprises like Wild Jura not only benefits the local economy but also ensures our children have access to fresh, high-quality meals. I’m delighted to see this idea come to life and look forward to seeing it expand further.”

The Scottish Government is pushing for new deer management legislation via the proposed Natural Environment Bill. The bill aims to establish targets for restoring and protecting nature, including deer management, as the Scottish Government states that an additional 50,000 deer per annum in Scotland need to be shot.

It is vital that we see community engagement with local deer stalkers and wildlife managers, together with the right amenities such as cold larders and butchery services in the local community. The SCA continue to ask the Scottish Government to support and promote a market for venison, which is vital if many more deer are to enter the food chain.

The consumption of venison should be normalised, and we will continue to push for proper incentivisation and legislation to ensure all deer management operations are recognised as an effective and proactive part of the governments’ net zero plans.

Check out our library of resources for some tasty venison recipes and ideas.

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