Deer: 50% cull 'necessary to protect countryside'

[wymberley]

No it's generally cos game dealers are robbing ********, their prices don't drop.

It's always the same, start of the season they beg for it then want to pay peanuts when they can get a steady supply

 

Only asking because I don't know. If a market was to be developed on the lines of our other domestic meet supplies, would there be a need for these robbing ********?

[halight]

I've seen one or two news articles now on how to cook venison, and I think BASC has been promoting the meat as well. Given what's been in the news about meat lately, the market will probably expand.

 

My wife and I love the stuff, We buy it from the Local farmers market, But cost as always dose play a big part. we would love to eat it more often but can not afford to at the moment. So we Buy it as a treat for Our self's.

If more of the meat come onto the market, And Starts to get into the high street butcher's then I would hope the price would come down some.

 

I would love it if "Game meat" Got more advertising And people were more educated about it,how to cook it and how good it is.

[Dunkield]

Man in the street never pays that. I'm sure if venison was available for £2 per pound, it would fly off the shelves.

 

£3/kg is going rate round our way, and I have heard they are crying out for it, look at this price and you can see why

 

http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-91716-Waitrose+British+venison+steak

 

 

[aris]

£3/kg is going rate round our way, and I have heard they are crying out for it, look at this price and you can see why

 

http://www.waitrose....h venison steak

 

£3/kg for what exactly? A whole skinned cleaned well hung animal, or a freshly shot carcase which needs processing & hanging?

 

I would consider buying a whole or half prepared & hung animal for the freezer at that price.

[scolopax]

Game dealers buy a carcasses with head and lower legs off, all insides removed from throat to (and including) anus, all reproductive organs removed, skin on.

[halight]

£3/kg is going rate round our way, and I have heard they are crying out for it, look at this price and you can see why

 

http://www.waitrose....h venison steak

 

[al4x]

Only asking because I don't know. If a market was to be developed on the lines of our other domestic meet supplies, would there be a need for these robbing ********?

 

yes simply because someone has to collect the carcasses, process them pay for disposal of parts you can't sell and then sell to retailers.

 

The simple fact is all game meat is generally unappreciated in the UK and what is marketed is generally more expensive than the farmed equivalent. How can you sell an entire roe buck for a similar amount it would cost to buy a haunch as an end user? somehow it has to be developed from a very diverse industry to one that is co ordinated to put cheap very environmentally and ecologically sound meat on the table.

[aris]

Is it legal for stalkers to sell meat directly to the public? Or does it have to go through a 'game dealer'?

[wymberley]

yes simply because someone has to collect the carcasses, process them pay for disposal of parts you can't sell and then sell to retailers.

 

The simple fact is all game meat is generally unappreciated in the UK and what is marketed is generally more expensive than the farmed equivalent. How can you sell an entire roe buck for a similar amount it would cost to buy a haunch as an end user? somehow it has to be developed from a very diverse industry to one that is co ordinated to put cheap very environmentally and ecologically sound meat on the table.

 

That's the point I was trying to make: If it was developed as you suggest and run as per the other domestic meat products, the (un)fair profit makers would be reigned in - as far as I know as a layman, nobody seems to protest about the profit margins in the beef, lamb, etc, food processing chain which is where the 'robbing ********' are located. Please note, that I do not consider some retailing conglomerates as being in the 'processing chain'.

 

Tesco fillet steak is priced more than the Waitrose quoted venison.

[al4x]

Is it robbing though really we don't know what they sell to the retailers at but somewhere there is a lot of money being made, it keeps it a niche product which is what it should be but how you bring it into wider use is another matter. As ever its one of our products more valued abroad than at home and at that point there is more demand than supply and there is a considerable amount of venison entering the food chain from the Uk at the moment anyway, one thing is for sure the primary producers are unlikely to make much out of it the same as farmers.

[Elby]

Looking at the website of a game dealer I used to use he was charging £6.50lb for prime cuts and trying to pay me 45p per lb.

It takes him no longer than 25 minutes to skin & butcher an average size Fallow.

[aris]

Looking at the website of a game dealer I used to use he was charging £6.50lb for prime cuts and trying to pay me 45p per lb.

It takes him no longer than 25 minutes to skin & butcher an average size Fallow.

 

Does he hang the meat at all? This is not only time consuming, but also reduces the weight of the carcase. Not making excuses for him, but there is more to it than what he pays you and what he charges.

[THE AD]

You can but being a wet slimey thing they tend not to kill the deer

just spat me tea out ha ha

You can but being a wet slimey thing they tend not to kill the deer

ha ha just spat me tea out hee hee

[Reece]

Is it legal for stalkers to sell meat directly to the public? Or does it have to go through a 'game dealer'?

 

Pretty sure they can sell to anyone, but if they're selling it, they need a certificate to show they know how to handle it safely and tell if meat is fit for consumption, etc.

 

http://www.basc.org.uk/en/utilities/document-summary.cfm/docid/3876FE60-5B00-431B-91CF88023A7055FC

[scolopax]

A stalker can sell direct to the public but it is not straight forward, his premises need to be inspected and certified, something along the lines of ' approved for game meat handling'. the kit needed generally costs a few bob, chiller, stainless work surfaces, suitable flooring, suitable washing facilities etc etc.

[aris]

A stalker can sell direct to the public but it is not straight forward, his premises need to be inspected and certified, something along the lines of ' approved for game meat handling'. the kit needed generally costs a few bob, chiller, stainless work surfaces, suitable flooring, suitable washing facilities etc etc.

 

I can see why people go through an intermediary - the Game Dealer. Could any standard butcher do the same thing, or do they need some sort of special dispensation because they are gutting & skinning the animal? Typically this is done at a slaughterhouse for cattle and other livestock.

[jasons gold]

I can see why people go through an intermediary - the Game Dealer. Could any standard butcher do the same thing, or do they need some sort of special dispensation because they are gutting & skinning the animal? Typically this is done at a slaughterhouse for cattle and other livestock.

 

They won't be gutting the animal and as far as I am aware they can't take animals in the fur unless the are a game dealer, and stalkers with dsc can't sell unless it's with its skin unless they are a aghe

[al4x]

blimey you remember something Alex

[Elby]

A standard butcher can take deer with the skin on as it is game.

They can't take rabbits though cos they aint game, how stupid is that.

They can also take pheasant in feather but not pigeon for the same reasons

[jasons gold]

All the butchers round us apart from a registered game dealer/ butcher won't take deer in the skin,

 

Yeah I do remember some things normally shooting related alex, have you registered for level two yet

Edited March 8, 2013 by jasons gold

[Beardo]

Same round here, they won't touch in the skin.

[al4x]

All the butchers round us apart from a registered game dealer/ butcher won't take deer in the skin,

 

Yeah I do remember some things normally shooting related alex, have you registered for level two yet

 

not yet I have to say I'm just enjoying shooting some at the moment

[jasons gold]

Same round here, they won't touch in the skin.

 

Have you tried wearing latex lol

[Elby]

Same round here, they won't touch in the skin.

The reason they won't is not for legal reasons.

Mainly it's because they get you to skin the beast and pay the same amount and also because believe it or not customers are put off by seeing animals with fur on hanging.

This is how my butcher explained it to me anyway, he has 3 or 4 apprentices in his shop and it's a job he likes them to be able to do, also he has a lot of african customers and they go mad for anything with fur or feather on.

[pboro shot]

its really quite straight forward to get registered with the local health dept it doesnt have to cost a fortune all you need is the basics ie somewhere to store at the right temp running clean water and just adhere to the best practice manual no need for anything to fancy secondhand kit inc a larder can be purchased very cheap !!