Alliance welcomes new British Quality Wild Venison scheme

The Countryside Alliance has welcomed a new Government-backed scheme to boost consumers’ confidence in the venison market and support the sustainable management of wild deer in the countryside.

There are more deer in the United Kingdom than at any time since the Norman Conquest, and in many places, densities are far too high.

Overgrazing by deer has been having a huge impact on other species, as well as the biodiversity of our environment due to the excessive browsing of vegetation, including shooting shrubs and sapling trees, that must be protected so they grow to soak up carbon and help fight climate change. The Alliance has been incredibly vocal in the national media about the need to control deer numbers, while supporting a sustainable market for venison meat, in part through our popular Game To Eat campaign.

The wild venison quality assurance scheme, which will be open to applicants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will ensure a set of audited standards are met throughout the supply chain, from forests, to the processing chain, to supermarket shelves. Successful applicants – including venison producer and processers – will support the development of a wider, more robust marketplace for British wild venison, which is a sustainable and healthy food source.

Applicants must demonstrate they comply with the new scheme, ensuring carcasses are handled correctly, premises are registered as food businesses with the local authority, and that standards expected for producing food are met in line with relevant regulations and best practice, ensuring that full traceability occurs. It is hoped the first quality-assured meat badged under this scheme will go on sale next year.

James Aris, the Alliance’s Shooting Campaign Manager said: “ We welcome the launch of the British Quality Wild Venison scheme. For many years, we have been clear that a buoyant market for wild venison will go a long way in assisting the vital management of wild deer in England & Wales. We will continue to play our part by using every opportunity to push the benefits of venison consumption through our Game To Eat campaign”. 

To apply for the British Quality Wild Venison scheme, please click here.