Photo: Jose Souto’s Game meatballs in bean and red wine sauce, courtesy of Taste of Game.
72% of people don’t eat game: The Eat Game Awards, now in their second year, hope to address that. A joint effort between Purdey & Sons and Taste of Game, they want your help to spread the word about this tasty, steeped-in-provenance, countryside fayre by championing its heroes across Great Britain: chefs & cooks, farmers’ market stalls, producers, restaurants, pubs, butchers, estate managers and retailers.
This week, at Countryfile Live at Blenheim Palace(1st-4thAugust), you will have the chance to learn about the versatility and benefits of wild game and be inspired by Taste of Game’s live demonstrations at Le Creuset and Countryfile Kitchen Theatre. They will be joining forces with former second chef of Michelin-starred Cheltenham restaurant Le Champignon Sauvage Steve Lyons and TV personality and chef Rachel Green, who has four TV series and several cookery books under her belt (and toque blanche): together, they will show you how to prepare mouth-watering summer meals and treats with this amazing British produce, and you will go home ready to experiment with it first-hand.
According to Adam Henson, farmer and rural TV presenter, people are “a little afraid of game,” because they’re not sure how to get hold of, handle or cook it. “The Eat Game Awards,” he says, “are aiming to change all of that.”
Wild game, such as grouse, pheasant, partridge, and snipe, offers many more perks: it’s wild, versatile, generates barely any food miles and is a major contributor to a healthy countryside ecosystem.“Eating game is one of life’s no-brainers, given that it is so abundant in this country,” confirms Chef Proprietor of Michelin starred Elystan Street and TV culinary expert Phil Howard. “It’s local, lived happily and it’s lean, nutritious and cheap.”
The Awards also represents the occasion for local businesses to be championed for their hard work, explains co-founder of the Awards and Chairman of Purdey James Horne.“Local and national recognition through awards can have a significant effect on sales and credibility. It can give a business confidence to progress.”
It was indeed the case for family business Truly Traceable, last year’s winner for “Best Added Value Game Meat Product” and awarded for their delicious home-made game pies. Co-owners Lynn & Steve Tricker say that they were both genuinely overwhelmed that, “as such a tiny business working from our home in Suffolk,” they had accumulated enough votes to win a national award. “It was recognition from our customers,” they add. “Our profile has also been raised by winning the award and there have also been notable collaborations as a result.”
You can nominate your own game heroes and celebrate their hard work across twelve categories, including your best wild game pubs, restaurants, and market stalls. Visit the Eat Game Awards website here to submit your entry.
Nominations are open now until November 1st.